TIM'S  TWINS   FIND   THE   STOLEN   NEST. 


A  CONCISE  AND   PRACTICAL, 

TREATISE 

ON   THE 

Management  of  Farm  Poultry 

BY 

JACOB    BIGGLE 


ILLUSTRATED 


What  this  coiintry  needs  is  less  hog  and  hominy  and  more 
chicken  and  celery" 


PHILADELPHIA 
WILMER  ATKINSON  Co. 

1906 


COPYRIGHT,  1895. 
WILMER  ATKINSON  Co. 


FIFTH  EDITION. 

FIFTIETH    THOUSAND. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

LIST  OF  COLORED  PLATES 6 

CHAPTER  I.            INTRODUCTION 7 

PARTS  OF  THE  CHICKEN 10 

HEADS  AND  COMBS  .  .  . 10 

CHAPTER  II.          THE  EGG 13 

CHAPTER  III.        EGGS  FOR  HATCHING 21 

CHAPTER  IV.         HATCHING  THE  EGGS 27 

CHAPTER  V.           CHICKS  WITH  HENS 35 

CHAPTER  VI.         CHICKS  WITH  BROODERS 43 

CHAPTER  VII.        EARLY  BROILERS 49 

CHAPTER  VIII.      HENS  EXPRESSLY  FOR  EGGS 57 

CHAPTER  IX.         THE  FARMER'S  FLOCK 67 

CHAPTER  X.           THE  VILLAGE  HENNERY 75 

CHAPTER  XI.         BREEDS  OF  CHICKENS 81 

CHAPTER  XII.       TURKEYS  AND  GUINEA-FOWLS 95 

CHAPTER  XIII.      DUCKS 107 

CHAPTER  XIV.      GEESE 119 

CHAPTER  XV.        PIGEONS 127 

CHAPTER  XVI.      FATTENING  AND  MARKETING 137 

CHAPTER  XVII.    DISEASES  AND  ENEMIES  .       147 


M347065 


LIST  OF  COLORED   PLATES. 


PIRATE  I.  BARRED  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS. 

PLATE  II.  SILVER  LACED  WYANDOTTES. 

PLATE  III.  LIGHT  BRAHMAS. 

PLATE  IV.  DARK  BRAHMAS. 

PLATE  V.  BUFF  COCHINS. 

PLATE  VI.  PARTRIDGE  COCHINS. 

PLATE    VII.  LANGSHANS. 

PL/ATE  VIII.  SINGLE  COMB  BROWN  LEGHORNS. 

PLATE  IX.  SILVER  POLISH  AND  GOLDEN  PENCILED  HAM- 
BURGS. 

PLATE  X.  HOUDANS. 

XI.  SILVER  GRAY  DORKINGS. 

XII.  INDIAN  GAMES. 

PIRATE)  XIII.  REPRESENTATIVE  BREEDS  OF  BANTAMS 

PLATE  XIV.  BRONZE  TURKEYS. 

PLATE  XV.  ROUEN  AND  MUSCOVY  DUCKS 

PLATE  XVI.  TCULOUSE  AND  BROWN  CHINA  GEESE. 


CHAPTER  I. 


PRELIMINARY   PARLEY. 


This  little  book  is  intended 
to  help  farmers  and  villagers 
conduct  the  poultry  business 
with  pleasure  and  profit.  Its 
teachings  are  not  drawn  from 
the  author's  inner  conscious- 
ness exclusively,  but  from 
practical  experience,  study 
and  observation. 
I  have  been  successful  in  the  business  myself,  not 
as  a  fancier,  but  as  a  farmer,  a  fact  which  I  do  not 
attribute  to  my  own  ability  entirely,  but  partly  to  the 
help  derived  from  the  stimulating  and  restraining 
influence  of  my  good  wife  Harriet,  and  to  Martha, 
the  industrious  and  vigilant  spouse  of  our  faithful  Tim. 
A  good  deal  of  what  I  know  and  have  written  has 
really  been  derived  from  a  diligent  perusal  of  the 
Form  Journal^  and  I  confess  to  having  borrowed  con- 
siderably from  its  pages  both  in  text  and  illustration. 
Credit  must  therefore  be  given  in  a  comprehensive 
way  to  the  Poultry  Editor  of  that  publication,  whose 
discerning  mind  and  great  experience  with  poultry 


8  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

have  received  the  widest  recognition  by  all  interested 
in  the  poultry  industry.  I  could  do  nothing  better 
than  to  draw  largely  upon  him,  augmenting  his  prac- 
tical information  with  trimmings  from  my  own  obser- 
vation and  experience,  and  with  suggestions  from  the 
women  folks  and  from  Tim. 

Great  pains  have  been  taken  with  the  illustrations, 
and  those  having  charge  of  this  feature  of  the  book 
deserve  much  praise  for  the  skill,  taste  and  originality 
displayed.  They  certainly  have  done  well.  The  beau- 
tiful and  life-like  pictures  set  off  the  book  in  fine 
style  and  raise  it  far  above  the  level  of  the  common- 
place. 

The  paintings  for  the  colored  prints  were  made 
from  life  from  birds  in  the  yards  of  breeders  or  on 
exhibition  at  the  poultry  shows,  by  lyouis  P.  Graham, 
a  young  Philadelphia  artist  possessing  a  high  order  of 
talent.  They  are  as  true  to  nature  and  the  ideal 
bird  as  it  is  possible  to  make  them. 

Few  people  have  an  adequate  idea  of  the  impor- 
tance of  the  poultry  business  in  this  country.  It  is 
estimated  that  there  are  in  the  United  States  over 
three  hundred  millions  of  chickens  and  thirty  millions 
of  other  domestic  fowls.  There  are  produced  in  one 
year  nearly  one  billion  dozen  eggs  of  an  average 
worth  of  ten  cents  per  dozen,  making  the  annual 
value  of  the  total  egg  product  one  hundred  million 
dollars.  If  in  addition  to  this  the  yearly  product  of 
poultry  meat  is  considered,  the  importance  of  this 
branch  of  rural  economy  will  be  more  fully  appre- 
ciated. 

A  pound  of  eggs  or  a  pound  of  poultry  can  be 


PRELIMINARY   PARLEY.  9 

raised  as  cheaply  as  a  pound  of  beef  or  mutton. 
Poultry  sells  at  home  for  nearly  twice  the  price  per 
pound  you  get  for  beef  and  mutton  on  the  hoof. 
Eggs  sell  for  more  than  twice  the  price  per  pound  on 
the  farm  that  the  city  butcher  gets  for  the  dressed 
carcasses  of  the  animals  he  sells. 

I  have  not  written  this  book  for  the  poultry  fan- 
cier, although  that  valued  person  will  find  many 
points  of  interest  in  it,  but  for  the  practical  farm  or 
village  man  or  woman  who  raises  poultry  and  eggs  for 
market,  whose  flock  is  one  of  the  many  sources  by 
which  the  income  of  the  farm  or  village  acre  is  in- 
creased with  but  a  trifling  money  outlay,  and  with  but 
little  extra  care  and  work.  As  in  every  other  branch 
of  farm  production,  however,  poultry  always  responds 
quickly  to  any  extra  effort  and  thought  put  into  it,  and 
there  are  hundreds  of  farms  to-day  where  the  poultry 
yard  yields  more  ready  cash  than  any  other  department. 

This  book  is  small  in  measure ;  I  could  have 
doubled  the  size  easily,  but  it  would  have  been  thinner 
and  not  any  better,  at  least  so  it  seems  to  me,  and 
Harriet  agrees.  Should  this  be  your  verdict,  gentle 
reader,  I  shall  be  content. 


JACOB  HIGGLE. 


wood,  1895. 


PARTS   OF   THE   CHICKEN. 

1.  Comb. 

2.  Face. 

3.  Wattles. 

4.  Ear-lobes. 

5.  Hackle. 

6.  Breast. 

7.  Back. 

8.  Saddle. 

9.  Saddle-feathers. 

10.  Sickles. 

11.  Tail-coverts. 

12.  Main  tail-feathers. 

13.  Wing-bow. 

14.  Wing-coverts, 

forming  wing-bar. 

15.  Secondaries,  wing-bay. 

16.  Primaries  or  flight-feathers  ;  wing-butts. 

17.  Point  of  breast  bone.  20.     Shanks  or  legs. 

18.  Thighs.  21.    Spur. 

10.  Hocks.  22.     Toes  or  claws. 


TYPES   OF  HEADS   AND   COMBS. 


1.  Single  comb. 

2.  Spiked  comb. 


3.  Rose  comb. 

4.  Pea  comb. 
Single  comb,  female. 


5.  Cup  comb. 

6.  Leaf  comb. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  EGG. 

Don't  put  allyoiir  eggs  in  one  basket. — Old  Proverb. 

Put  all  your  eggs  in  one  basket^  and  watch  that  basket. 

— Mark  Twain's  Version. 

Careful  and  critical  examination  of  an  egg  reveals 
an  arrangement  of  its  contents  in  a  series  of  layers  as 
seen  in  the  illustration. 

Referring  to  the  cut,  A  is  the  shell ;  B  is  the 
membrane  adhering  to  the  shell ;  C  is  a  second  mem- 
brane slightly  adhering  to  B,  except  at  the  large  end, 
where  the  two  separate  and 
form  D,  the  air  space  ;  E  is 
the  first  layer  of  the  white 
or  albuminous  part  and  is 
in  liquid  form  ;  F  is  the 
second  layer,  which  is  semi- 
liquid,  and  G  is  the  inner 
layer ;  H,  H  are  the  chal- 
azse,  or  slightly  thickened 
membranes  that  unite  the  white  to  the  membrane 
enclosing  the  yolk,  M.  They  form  a  ligament 
that  binds  the  parts  together,  and  holds  the  yolk 
suspended  in  the  midst  of  the  white  or  albumen. 
I,J,  Kare  very  fine  membranes  surrounding  the  yolk  ; 
L,  is  the  germ,  and  N  is  the  germ  sack  or  utricle ;  a, 
b,  c  are  separate  layers  composing  the  yolk.  The 
germ,  L,,  and  germ  sack,  N?  are  suspended  by  the  mem- 


14  BlGGlvK  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

branes  H,  like  a  mariner's  compass,  so  that  the  germ 
always  retains  its  position  on  top  of  the  yolk.  While 
this  germ  is  present  in  all  eggs  alike,  it  requires  the 
contact  of  the  male  element  to  give  it  vitality.  This 
contact  takes  place  in  the  oviduct  before  the  yolk  is 
surrounded  by  the  white,  or  albumen,  and  the  shell. 

The  yolk  is  the  essential  part  of  the  egg,  contain- 
ing as  it  does  the  germ,  and  albuminous  and  fatty 
matter  and  organic  salts  sufficient  to  support  the  germ 
in  its  earlier  stages  of  development.  The  white, 
which  is  pure  albumen  and  water,  furnishes  in  the  first 
place  a  safe  and  congenial  medium  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  life  germ  and  afterwards  contributes  its 
share  of  nutriment  to  the  developing  embryo. 

The  shell  is  a  layer  of  carbonate  of  lime  deposited 
so  as  to  give  the  greatest  possible  strength,  and  so  ar- 
ranged as  to  leave  numerous  pores  through  which  the 
water  of  the  egg  can  escape  and  the  external  air  can 
enter. 

About  three-fourths,  74  per  cent.,  of  the  contents 
of  an  egg  consist  of  water,  14  per  cent,  is  albumen, 
10.5  per  cent,  is  fat,  and  1.5  per  cent,  is  ash.  Of  the 
latter  the  principal  part  consists  of  phosphate  of  lime, 
the  element  that  enters  so  largely  into  the  composi- 
tion of  bones. 

These  constituents  of  an  egg  furnish  every  ele- 
ment, except  oxygen,  essential  to  the  formation  of 
the  living  bird. 

The  egg  is  the  beginning  of  all  animal  life.  In 
the  case  of  mammals,  this  egg  is  hatched  and  the 
young  animal  is  nourished  and  developed  for  a  certain 
period  within  the  body  of  the  mother  before  it  is  cast 


THE  EGG.  15 

upon  the  cold  charities  of  the  world.  The  egg  of  a 
bird,  or  a  reptile,  is  expelled  as  soon  as  it  is  perfectly 
formed,  and  the  germ  of  life  within  it  is  awakened  or 
destroyed  by  surrounding  conditions. 

The  application  of  heat,  100  degrees  to  103 
degrees  Fahrenheit,  to  the  egg  of  the  domestic  fowl 
will  cause  the  germ  within  to  begin  a  process  of  trans- 
formation. Within  twenty-four  hours  after  incubation 
begins,  an  examination  will  show  a  zone  of  small 
blood  vessels  formed  around  this  germ.  After  three 
days  a  temporary  membrane  begins  to  form  inside  of 
the  shell  membranes.  This  new  membrane  serves  as 
lungs  to  the  growing  embryo  ;  into  its  numerous  hair- 
like  vessels  the  contents  of  the  egg  are  absorbed  and 
changed  into  blood.  This  blood  is  exposed  to  the 
oxygen  of  the  air  that  enters  through  the  pores  of  the 
shell,  and  thus,  purified  and  vitalized,  returns  to  the 
centre  of  life,  circulation  is  established  and  develop- 
ment proceeds  rapidlv  until  the  entire  egg  is  absorbed 
and  transformed  into  a  creature  having  various  organs 
and  a  conscious  life. 

The  different  stages  in  the  process  of  development 
above  described,  taay  be  observed  by  breaking  eggs 
that  have  been  exposed  for  different  periods  to  the 
proper  conditions  for  incubation. 

The  contents  should  be  turned  out  into  a  saucer, 
great  care  being  taken  not  to  rupture  the  delicate 
membranes  that  are  forming.  A  good  hand  reading 
glass  will  greatly  aid  in  making  this  examination. 

As  breaking  the  egg  destroys  the  embryo,  this 
method  of  examination  is  useful  only  to  train  the  eye 
and  judgment  of  the  observer  to  examine  the  embryo 


16  BIGGIE  POULTRY  BOOK. 

through  the  shell.  This  may  be  done  by  holding  the 
egg  between  the  eye  and  a  strong  light.  Various  con- 
trivances are  used  to  assist  the  eye.  One  of  the  most 
simple,  is  made  like  a  tin  horn  having  a  piece  of  soft 
leather  or  rubber  over  the  large  end  and  a  hole  in  it, 
oval  in  shape,  and  a  little  smaller  than  the  eggs  to  be 
tested.  Such  a  tester  may  be  made  of  tin  or  card 
board. 

To  test  an  egg,  grasp  it  between  the  thumb  and 
finger  of  the  left  hand  and  holding  it  large  end  up 
against  the  aperture  of  the  tester  look  directly  through 
it  toward  the  light.  While  doing  so  revolve  it  slowly 
to  get  a  view  from  all  sides  and  to  observe  the  motion 
of  the  embryo. 

Figure  I  illustrates  a  tester  that  any  handy  person 
can  make.  The  box  is  six  inches  square 
by  eighteen  inches  high,  open  at  top  with 
a  sliding  door  on  one  side.  This  hoMs  a 
lamp.  Opposite  the  lamp  flame  is  a  hole 
one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter  and 
around  this  a  washer  cut  from  a  rubber 
boot.  Back  of  the  lamp  place  a  piece  of 
looking  glass,  and  paint  the  rest  of  the 
box  inside  a  dull  black. 
Have  holes  at  bottom  of  box  to  ven- 
tilate lamp. 

A  fresh  egg  looks  like  Figure  2, 
almost  perfectly  clear.     With  a  strong     Kj 
light  and  a  thin  white-shelled  egg  the      V 
outline  of  the  yolk  can  be  seen.    Eggs 

with   thick   brown  shells  are  difficult 

FIG.  2. 
to  test. 


2  rest  01    LUC 


THE  EGG. 


On  the  fifth  or  sixth  day  of  incu- 
bation, a  strong,  fertile  egg  will  look 
like  Figure  3.  The  air-sack  is  slightly 
enlarged  and  from  a  dark  center  fine 
red  lines  are  seen  to  radiate.  There 
is  also  a  slight  cloudiness  about  this 
dark  spot  or  germ,  and  the  germ  can 

be  seen  to  move  slightly  as  the  egg 

,      -,  FIG.  3. 

is  revolved. 

It  often  happens  that  the  germ  begins  to  develop 
and  dies  before  the  sixth  day.  In  this  case  the  red 
lines  are  indistinct,  or  absent,  and  in 
their  place  is  a  dark  circle  enclosing 
the  germ  as  appears  in  Figure  4.  When 
the  egg  is  revolved  this  dead  embryo 
floats  aimlessly  about  in  the  surround- 
ing contents. 

All  infertile  eggs  that  were  fresh 
when  incubation  began,  will  remain 
clear  up  to  the  sixth  day,  or  even  lon- 
ger, but  a  stale  egg  shows  a  cloudy  spot  in  the  center 
and  a  large  air  sack.  When  opened,  the  yolk  sack  is 
apt  to  break  and  the  contents  to  run  together,  or,  as 
we  say,  become  "addled." 

All  such  eggs,  as  well  as  those  that  contain  dead 
embryos,  and    all    clear    or    infertile 
eggs  should  be  removed  at  this  first 
testing. 

A  second  testing  of  eggs  should 
be  made  on  the  tenth  day.  By  this 
time  the  air  sack  has  still  further  en- 
larged and  the  growth  of  the  embryo 

FlG.  5. 


FIG.  4. 


18  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

has  so  clouded  the  egg  contents  as  to  render  the  out- 
lines indistinct.  The  appearance  of  the  egg  is  now 
shown  by  Figure  5. 

After  the  tenth  day  the  tester  is  of  little  use. 
On  the  eighteenth  day  the  embryo  is  Hearing  the  final 
stages,  the  yolk  upon  which  it  subsists  is  nearly  all 
absorbed.  On  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  days  it  is 
chipping  the  shell,  and  on  the  twenty-first  it  emerges, 
fully  developed,  into  a  new  and  larger  world. 


FOOT  NOTES. 

The  shell  of  an  egg  is  porous  and  any  filth  on  it  will  taint 
the  meat.  A  good  reason  for  cleaning  eggs  as  soon  as  gathered. 

Sometimes  dirty  looking  eggs  are  fresher  than  some  that 
are  clean,  but  buyers  will  not  believe  it,  and,  as  they  must  j  udge 
an  egg  by  its  outward  appearance  only,  eggs  should  be  made  as 
attractive  looking  as  possible  before  being  sent  to  market. 

Eggs  are  preserved  in  two  ways  :  By  cold  storage  in  a  dry 
atmosphere,  at  a  temperature  of  36  to  40  degrees,  and  by  im- 
mersing in  a  pickle  of  lime  and  salt  in  clean  oak  barrels.  The 
pickle  is  made  by  slaking  two  pounds  of  lime  in  hot  water,  and 
adding  one  pint  of  salt  and  four  gallons  of  water.  Twenty  gal- 
lons will  cover  150  dozens.  Put  fresh  eggs  in  the  clear  pickle 
until  the  vessel  is  nearly  full,  spread  a  clean  cloth  over  them 
and  cover  this  with  the  settlings  of  the  lime. 

Ice-house  eggs  and  pickled  eggs  are  edible  if  put  in  fresh 
and  properly  kept,  but  are  greatly  inferior  to  fresh  stock.  If 
sold  for  what  they  are  it  is  all  right,  but  it  is  all  wrong  and  a 
fraud  on  consumers  to  palm  them  off  as  newly-laid  eggs. 


CHAPTER  III. 
EGGS  FOR  HATCHING. 

To  me  eggs  are  like  morals — they  have  no  middle  ground.  If 
not  good,  they  are  bad. — Harriet. 

O.  W.  Holmes  is  credited  with  the 
JiJL       observation  that  a  child's  education  should 
iflpP^     begin  one  hundred  years  before  it  is  born. 
In  this  witticism  the  poet  and  sage  ex- 
presses his  appreciation   of  the  law  of 
heredity,  that  like  begets  like,  a  principle 
as  applicable  to  the  raising  of  fowls  as  to  the  training 
of  children. 

The  successful  chicken  rearer  must  begin  his 
operations  long  before  the  advent  of  the  chickens. 
Hens  that  have  been  stunted  by  neglect  and  abuse  or 
debilitated  by  too  frequent  intermingling  of  blood, 
will  not  lay  eggs  containing  strong,  healthy  germs. 
The  breeding  birds  of  both  sexes  should  be  of  hardy 
stock,  fully  matured  and  in  a  high  state  of  health. 

Young  pullets  forced  into  early  laying  by  stimu- 
lating food  do  not  make  good  breeders.  Hens  that 
are  over  two  years  old,  hens  that  are  over  fat,  or  have 
been  weakened  by  disease,  should  never  be  used  to 
furnish  eggs  for  hatching.  Pullets  that  have  reached 
their  full  size,  and  well  preserved  two-year-old  hens 
mated  with  a  vigorous  male,  make  the  best  breeders. 
A  good  plan  is  to  mate  hens  with  a  cockerel  from  eight 


22  ulGGLK    POUI/TRY    BOOK. 

to  twelve  months  old,  and  to  mate  pullets  with  an  active 
cock  not  over  two  years  old.  The  exact  age  when  a 
bird  reaches  maturity  cannot  be  given,  as  the  different 
breeds  vary  greatly  in  this  respect. 

In  order  to  obtain  eggs  with  germs  of  strong 
vitality,  the  diet  of  the  breeders  must  receive  attention. 
Eggs  are  produced  from  what  we  may  call  surplus 
food,  that  which  is  not  required  for  the  sustenance  of 
the  hen  herself.  As  we  have  already  seen,  the  egg 
contains  substances  that  make  fat,  lean  meat  or  muscle 
and  bones.  To  reproduce  these  in  eggs  the  hen  must 
eat  and  digest  substances  out  of  which  these  are  made. 
Starchy  foods  contain  the  necessary  oil  or  fatty  matter. 
These  are  represented  by  the  grains,  especially  corn, 
wheat,  buckwheat  and  barley,  and  vegetables,  espe- 
cially potatoes  and  sugar  beets.  The  mineral  element 
that  is  found  in  eggs  is  found  also  in  nearly  all  foods. 
Of  the  grains,  oats  have  the  largest  percentage,  then 
follow  barley,  sweet  corn,  buckwheat  and  rye,  wheat 
and  corn  in  the  order  named.  Wheat,  bran,  clover 
hay,  linseed  and  cottonseed  meal  and  buttermilk  are 
all  rich  in  this  element.  Of  the  twenty-six  per  cent, 
of  solids  in  an  egg,  fourteen  consist  of  albumen,  from 
which  may  be  seen  the  absolute  necessity  of  supplying 
the  laying  hen  with  food  containing  a  large  proportion 
of  albuminous  matter.  The  alchemy  of  nature  work- 
ing in  the  body  of  the  hen  cannot  elaborate  albumen 
out  of  starch  or  fat,  nor  out  of  carbonate  and  phosphate 
of  lime.  Food  abounding  in  these  will  not  enable  the 
hen  to  produce  eggs,  if  it  be  deficient  in  what  are 
called  albuminoids  or  nitrogenous  elements.  While 
the  grains  contain  these  they  are  not  contained  in 


EGGS   FOR   HATCHING.  23 

sufficient  quantity  to  form  a  proper  diet  for  egg  pro- 
duction when  the  grains  are  fed  alone.  Resort  is  had, 
therefore,  to  foods  rich  in  albuminoids.  Meat-meal, 
made  from  lean  meat  dried  and  ground,  is  the  richest 
in  this  respect  of  all  the  foods  found  in  the  market. 
After  meat-meal,  follow  in  order  green  cut  bone, 
cottonseed  meal,  linseed  meal,  wheat  bran,  clover 
hay  and  milk. 

The  hens  when  running  at  large  in  the  warm 
season  of  the  year  supplement  the  ration  of  grain 
supplied  them  by  their  keeper  with  worms,  grubs  and 
insects  of  various  kinds,  which  contain  the  needful 


HE   FINDS   A   WORM. 

albumen.  While  providing  themselves  with  this  they 
obtain  succulent  and  bulky  green  food  in  the  form  of 
grass,  and  gritty  particles  to  grind  the  whole  mass. 

Along  with  the  needful  quantity  and  variety  of 
food,  hens  roaming  the  fields  secure  the  exercise  so 
essential  to  good  health  and  the  production  of  healthy 
progeny. 

Kggs  of  strong  vitality  for  hatching  may  be  ob- 
tained even  from  hens  in  confinement  when  the  con- 
ditions noted  here  are  complied  with. 

The  same  conditions  that  promote  health  and  in- 
duce the  hens  to  lay  are  favorable  for  giving  vigor  to 
the  cock  also. 


24  BIGGIE   POULTRY   BOOK, 

It  is  difficult  to  lay  down  definite  rules  in  regard 
to  the  number  of  hens  to  be  allowed  for  each  male 
bird.  Breeds  and  individuals  of  each  breed  differ  in 
activity  and  vigor;  but  speaking  generally,  it  may  be 
said  that  for  a  flock  at  liberty,  one  Leghorn  male  may 
be  allowed  for  each  flock  of  twenty  to  twenty-five 
females ;  one  Plymouth  Rock  male  to  fifteen  to 
twenty  females;  and  one  Brahma  male  to  ten  to  fifteen 
females  ;  these  breeds  being  taken  to  represent  the 
small,  medium  and  large  fowls.  When  confined  in 
yards,  reduce  the  number  of  females  by  a  third,  unless 
two  males  are  allowed  each  pen,  alternated  weekly. 
Never  have  more  than  one  male  with  the  flock  at  the 
same  time. 

To  be  sure  that  eggs  for  hatching  are  fertile,  none 
should  be  saved  for  this  purpose  from  a  flock  until 
the  third  day  after  mating. 

After  mating,  though  the  male  be  removed,  the 
eggs  laid  from  the  third  to  the  tenth  day  will  nearly 
all  be  fertile.  It  follows  from  this,  that  in  breeding 
pure-bred  fowls,  contamination  of  the  blood  from  the 
introduction  of  a  strange  male  need  not  be  feared 
after  the  tenth  day. 

Never  shake  an  egg  designed  for  hatching. 

Wrap  eggs  kept  for  hatching  in  old  flannel  or 
woolen  cloth,  or  stand  on  end  in  bran  and  cover  with 
flannel.  Avoid  a  hot,  drying  atmosphere. 

Beware  of  breeding  from  cocks  with  crooked 
breasts,  wry  tails,  long,  slender  shanks,  or  any  other 
bodily  defect  indicating  a  lack  of  vigor.  Like  begets 
like.  Use  only  the  best  for  stock  birds. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


HATCHING  THE   EGGS. 

Eggs  are  close  things,  but  the  chicks  come  out  at  last. 

— Chinese  Proverb 

Incubation  is  the  application  of  the  proper  amount 
of  heat  to  the  egg  under  proper  conditions.  Nature 
has  provided  for  this  by  bringing  upon  hens  after  lay- 
ing a  certain  number  of  eggs,  the  brooding  fever, 
which  runs  its  course  when  its  purpose  has  been 
fulfilled. 

In  some  breeds  this  broody  instinct  has  been  bred 
out  to  a  great  extent.  This  is  true  of  the  smaller,  or 
Spanish  breeds  generally,  yet  even  these  will  occa- 
sionally become  broody.  Nearly  all  the  medium  sized 
breeds,  and  the  larger  ones,  too,  are  persistent  sitters. 
Of  all  the  standard  breeds,  perhaps  the  Cochins  are  by 
nature  the  most  quiet  and  gentle,  and  have  the  moth- 
erly instinct  the  most  strongly  developed. 

Whatever  may  be  the  breed,  it  is  best,  as  a 
rule,  to  select  for  sitters  and  mothers,  medium  sized 
hens,  and  such  as  are  not  too  fat  and  clumsy.  It  is  an 
advantage,  also,  to  have  those  that  are  gentle  and  will 
not  fidget  and  fight  and  break  their  eggs.  Wild, 
squalling  hens  are  a  nuisance  ;  accustom  them  to 
being  handled,  remove  them  at  night  to  a  room  apart 
from  the  laying  hens,  let  them  sit  for  a  day  or  two  on 
ijtest  eggs,  and  if  they  promise  well,  give  them  as 
many  as  they  can  cover  well. 


28  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY    BOOK. 

No  invariable  rule  can  be  laid  down  respecting 
the  number  of  eggs  to  be  put  under  a  hen.  The  size 
of  the  hen,  the  size  of  the  eggs  and  the  season  of  the 
year  will  determine  the  pioper  number,  which  may 
be  from  nine  to  eighteen. 

The  manner  of  making  the  nest,  a  very  simple 
operation,  apparently,  has  much  to  do  with  the  suc- 
cess or  failure  of  a  hatch.  The  box  in  which  the  nest 
is  made  should  be  so  large  as  not  to  prevent  the  hen 
from  turning  about  freely,  and  so  situated  that  she 
cannot  be  interfered  with  by  other  hens.  One  of  the 
cheapest  and  most  satisfactory  nest 
boxes  for  general  purposes  is  illus- 
trated herewith.  It  is  a  large  soap  box 
with  two- thirds  of  the  top  removed, 
turned  on  its  side.  A  box  of  this  kind  FIG-  i. 
set  on  the  floor  of  the  laying  room  or  on  a  shelf  with 
the  open  side  toward  the  wall  but  a  few  feet  from  it, 
makes  a  handy  and  secluded  nesting  place.  When 
a  hen  becomes  broody,  the  box  can  be  moved  near 
the  wall  and  other  hens  shut  out,  and  at  the  proper 
time  she  can  be  carried  on  her  own  nest  to  the  hatch- 
ing-room. 

If  a  new  nest  must  be  made  it  should  be  of  some 
soft  material,  broken  oat  straw  or  hay,  carefully  spread 
out  and  pressed  down,  hollowed  but  slightly,  and  the 
edges  raised  a  little  to  prevent  the  eggs  from  rolling 
out.  If  the  bottom  be  made  too  flat  the  eggs  roll 
away  from  the  hen  and  she  cannot  cover  them  ;  if  too 
convex,  they  roll  close  together,  and  when  the  hen 
enters  the  nest  and  steps  on  them  or  among  them 
they  do  not  separate  or  roll  away  and  a  fouled  nest  is 


HATCHING  THE   EGGS.  29 

the  result.  Whenever  eggs  are  thus  smeared  or 
fouled  in  any  manner,  they  should  be  carefully  washed 
in  warm  water  and  at  once  replaced  under  the  hen. 

In  selecting  eggs  for  hatching,  such  as  are  very 
large  or  very  small,  all  having  unusually  thin,  rough 
or  chalky  shells,  should  be  discarded. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  mark  on  every  egg  with  pen 
and  ink  the  date  of  sitting,  and  when  they  are  due  to 
hatch,  and  to  make  a  record  of  the  same  in  a  book 
kept  for  the  purpose.  Always  put  the  eggs  under  the 
hen  after  dark,  unless  she  is  known  to  be  perfectly 
gentle  and  trustworthy. 

To  save  labor  it  is  a  common  custom  to  set  several 
hens  at  one  time,  and  when  the  chicks  hatch  to  put 
two  or  more  broods  with  one  mother. 

About  the  best  food  for  sitting  hens  is  corn.  With 
corn,  water,  gravel,  and  a  place  to  dust  supplied,  they 
will  need  little  else.  Their  attendant  should  see  that 
they  come  off  the  nest  once  a  day  and  that  their  eggs 
are  not  fouled  or  broken. 

The  modern  man-made  hatcher,  the  incubator,  is 
largely  used  for  winter  hatching  when  hens  rarely  be- 
come broody,  and  also  for  hatch- 
ing on  a  larger  scale  than  is  con- 
venient with  the  natural  mother. 

While  the  names  and  makers 
of  these  machines  are  numerous 
they  are  divided  into  two  general 
classes,  those  warmed  by  hot  air,  TYPE  OF 

and   those   warmed  by  radiation    HOT-AIR  INCUBATOR. 
from   a  tank  of  hot  water,  the  heat  being  supplied 
in  both  cases  by  a  lamp  flame  or  a  gas  jet.     A  very 


JO  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

few  are  still  made  that  are  heated  by  drawing  off  the 
cooled  water  from  a  tank  and  pouring  in  hot  water  as 
required. 

Each  kind  and  each  make  has  its  friends,  and  nearly 
all  are  fairly  successful.  An  expert  having  knowl- 
edge and  experience  in  artificial  hatching  can  make 
a  success  of  the  crudest  incuba- 
tor, while  a  person  ignorant  in 
such  matters  may  fail  with  the 
most  improved. 

The  running  of  an  incubator 
TYPE  OF  with  only  a  few  eggs  in  it  at  first, 

HOT-WATER  INCUBATOR,  to  learn  how  to  manage  it  and  to 
gain  experience,  is  the  part  of  wisdom  for  a  novice. 
The  directions  sent  by  all  manufacturers  with  their 
machines  should  be  carefully  studied  during  these 
experimental  hatches. 

The  best  location  for  an  incubator  is  in  a  room 
where  a  mild  and  fairly  uniform  temperature  can  be 
preserved  in  spite  of  changes  in  the  weather.  Such 
a  location  is  afforded  by  a  light,  dry  and  well  ventil- 
ated basement  or  cellar.  The  machine  should  stand 
on  a  firm  foundation,  and  where 
the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  can- 
not shine  upon  it. 

Before  filling  the  trays  with 
eggs  run  it  empty  for  a  day  or  TYPE  OF 

two  to  see  that  it  is  in  working  HOME-MADE  INCUBATOR. 
order,  and  that  the  heat  can  be  maintained  at  102  de- 
grees to  104  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

Eggs  for  incubator  hatching  should  be  fresh,  the 
fresher  the  better.     None  should  be  over  ten  da}^s  old, 


HATCHING  THE  EGGS.  31 

although  they  will  hatch  when  much  older  if  carefully 
preserved  under  woolen  covers,  and  turned  daily. 
The  trays  should  be  crowded  at  first,  since,  on  testing 
the  eggs  on  the  fifth  day,  many  may  be  found  infertile 
and  will  have  to  be  taken  out. 

After  an  incubator  full  of  eggs  has  once  been 
started,  no  additional  eggs  should  be  put  in  until  the 
hatching  is  completed.  This  may  be  accepted  as  a 
rule  to  tie  to  without  giving  all  the  reasons  for  it  here. 

Kggs  to  hatch  well  must  lose  a  part  of  the  water 
contained  in  them.  This  loss  occurs  by  evaporation 
through  the  pores  of  the  egg-shell.  Under  the  hen 
evaporation  is  checked  just  at  the  right  time  by  a 
slight  film  of  oil  from  the  hen's  body  that  shows  itself 
in  the  gloss  that  appears  on  eggs  that  have  been  in 
the  nest  for  a  few  days.  In  the  incubator  the  evapor- 
ation will  continue  for  the  whole  period  of  incubation 
and  be  excessive  unless  checked  by  supplying  a  moist 
atmosphere  to  the  egg  trays.  Bach  manufacturer  has 
his  own  method  for  furnishing  the  required  moisture, 
and  nearly  all  furnish  moisture  gauges  or  hygrometers 
for  recording  the  amount  of  humidity  in  the  egg 
chamber. 

A  reliable  thermometer  is  one  of  the  first  essen- 
tials to  success  in  artificial  hatching.  The  secret  of 
many  failures  may  be  traced  to  thermometers  with 
scales  inaccurately  marked  between  the  points  100 
degrees  and  105  degrees,  just  where  accuracy  is 
especially  required  in  hatching  eggs. 

The  proper  temperature  for  hatching  is  considered 
to  be  102  degrees  to  103  degrees.  This  is  the  tempera- 
ture, not  of  the  egg  chamber,  but  the  temperature  of 


32  BIGGIE   POULTRY    BOOK. 

the  upper  surface  of  a  fertile,  live  egg.  The  tempera- 
ture of  an  infertile  egg,  or  of  an  egg  containing  a  dead 
embryo  will  be  lower  than  that  of  a  live  egg  lying  ad- 
jacent in  the  same  tray.  It  is  important,  therefore,  in 
testing  the  temperature  to  place  the  bulb  upon  alive  egg. 

By  the  tenth  day  the  animal  heat  that  has  been 
stored  in  the  living  embryos  in  the  process  of  incuba- 
tion becomes  quite  a  factor  in  the  temperature  of  the 
machine.  If  the  operator  is  not  experienced  or  the 
machine  cannot  be  trusted  to  regulate  its  own  tem- 
perature, the  thermometer  is  apt,  about  this  time,  to 
shoot  up  to  no  degrees  and  the  whole  incubator  full 
of  eggs  to  be  destroyed.  From  this  period  to  the  end 
less  artificial  heat  is  required.  In  a  warm  room  a 
large  machine  containing  several  hundred  eggs  will 
hold  its  heat  for  hours  at  a  time  without  the  applica- 
tion of  any  external  heat  whatever. 

It  is  thought  necessary  to  give  eggs  in  incubators 
a  daily  airing,  after  the  fashion  of  the  hen.  This  is 
less  essential  when  the  hatching  is  done  in  a  cold 
room.  In  airing  eggs  it  is  best  to  remove  them  from 
the  machine  in  the  trays  and  immediately  close  the 
doors  so  as  not  to  lower  the  inside  temperature. 

While  the  eggs  are  being  aired  they  should  also 
be  turned.  Nearly  all  machines  have  devices  for  doing 
this,  a  trayful  at  a  time,  or  automatically,  by  a  clock- 
work contrivance,  but  in  small  machines  it  may  be 
done  by  hand  and  the  relative  position  of  the  eggs  in 
the  trays  changed  so  as  to  better  insure  an  equal 
chance  for  all.  After  the  nineteenth  day  they  should 
not  be  handled,  except  as  the  shells  are  chipped  the 
broken  side  should  be  turned  up. 


CHAPTER  V. 


CARE  OF  YOUNG  CHICKS  WITH  HENS. 

Keep  all  chicks  out  of  the  wet  grass  in  the  early  morning. 
It  is  not  the  wet  feet,  but  the  wet  feathers  that  do  the  harm. 

—Tim's  Wife. 

j.         ~  When  the  chicks  begin  to  break  the 

^jjjj?- |ifc|      shell,  the  importance  of  a  mother-hen  with 

iff^K     a   quiet  and  gentle  disposition   becomes 

B     apparent.     The  a.d vice  commonly  given  to 

let  the  hen  alone  until  the  chicks  are  all 

out,  is  sound  only  in  cases  where  hens  are  so  wild  and 

pugnacious   that  handling   them   will   endanger    the 

young,  or  the  attendant  is  ignorant  of  the  proper  thing 

to  do. 

It  is  often  good  policy  to  take  from  the  nest  the 
chicks  that  come  out  first.  This  leaves  more  room  for 
those  that  are  to  hatch,  and  when  out  of  the  nest  they 
cannot  be  trampled  on.  This  is  especially  wise  when 
the  mother  is  heavy,  clumsy  and  fidgety  and  lacking 
motherly  instinct.  When  several  hens  are  hatching 
at  the  same  date,  it  will  often  be  found  prudent,  while 
the  chicks  are  coming  out,  to  transfer  all  the  chicks 
and  eggs  from  an  unruly  hen  to  those  that  exhibit 
more  hen-sense. 

All  empty  shells  should  be  removed  from  the  nest 
at  once.  Occasionally  a  chick  is  unable  to  get  out 
after  it  has  chipped  the  shell.  The  experienced  hand 
can  frequently  give  aid  by  carefully  breaking  the  shell 


36  BIGGIE   POULTRY   BOOK. 

a  little  more,  or  tearing  the  tough  surrounding  mem- 
brane. Caution  and  experience  are  needed  in  the 
operation. 

Eggs  late  in  hatching  are  benefited  by  putting 
them  for  a  few  minutes  in  warm  water  tempered  to 
about  103  degrees.  If  containing  live  chicks  they  will 
be  seen  to  move  in  the  water.  If  the  chicks  are  dead 
they  will  remain  perfectly  still.  After  this  warm  bath 
the  eggs  should  be  put  back  at  once  under  the  hen 
without  suffering  them  to  become  chilled. 

Never  in  any  case  take  all  the  chicks  from  the 
nest  of  a  hen  that  is  afterwards  to  be  used  as  the 
mother  of  a  brood ;  and  if  the  chicks  are  of  several 
colors,  leave  at  least  one  of  each  color  in  the  nest. 
Attention  to  these  points  will  avoid  trouble  when  the 
brood  is  returned  to  her. 

Chicks  taken  from  the  nest  should  be  put  in  a 
basket  covered  with  woolen  cloth,  and  placed  near  a 
stove.  Do  not  remove  from  the  nest  until  their  down 
is  dry.  Such  as  show  unusual  weakness  may  be 
revived  by  pouring  down  their  throats  a  few  drops  of 
warm,  new  milk. 

Strong  chicks  need  no  food  for  twenty-four  hours 
after  hatching.  If  this  time  expires  before  it  is  con- 
venient to  return  them  to  the  hen,  they  may  be  fed  in 
a  box  by  a  sunny  window,  and  be  put  in  their  basket 
nest  again  until  evening.  The  hen  and  her  "  sample 
lot"  may,  in  the  meanwhile,  be  fed  near  the  nest. 
After  dark  the  rest  of  the  brood  should  be  returned  to 
her,  and  by  the  next  morning  mother  and  chicks  are 
ready  for  the  coop, which  should  be  ready  for  the  brood. 

In  cold  weather  it  is  best  to  set  coops  in  an  open 


CHICKS   WITH   HENS.  37 

shed.  They  should  always  be  set  on  a  dry,  slightly 
elevated  location,  so  that  they  cannot  be  flooded  by  a 
sudden  rainfall.  Where  the  soil  is  at  all  wet  they 
should  be  set  on  a  platform  made  by  nailing  boards 
on  two  pieces  of  scantling.  This  platform  should  be 
of  such  a  size  that  the  sides  of  the  coop  will  just  fit 
over  it.  If  allowed  to  extend  outside  of  the  walls  the 
rain  from  the  roof  will  keep  the  floor  damp. 

While  the  styles  of  coops  are  as  numerous  as  their 
makers,  the  one  here  illustrated,  having  roof  with 
double  pitch  and  triangular  ends,  is  as 
cheap  and  serviceable  as  any.  To  make 
it,  take  four  pieces  of  2  x  3  scantling,  cut 
exactly  33  inches  long  and  halved  together 
at  the  top  at  such  an  angle  as  to  make  the  base  line  of 
the  front  extend  three  feet.  The  coop  is  made  two 
feet  deep,  thus  giving  a  floor  space  of  2  x  3  feet.  The 
roof  may  be  covered  by  regular  siding,  or  by  fillis- 
tered  barn  boards  cut  into  lengths  of  2  feet  2  inches. 
The  rear  wall  is  boarded  up  solid,  the  front  half  way 
down,  and  the  lower  half  is  slatted.  A  loosely  fitting 
door  of  boards  may  be  hinged  to  the  upper  half  to 
cover  the  slats  and  keep  the  brood  in  the  coop  when 
desirable.  For  summer  weather,  ventilation  should 
be  provided  for  by  raising  slightly  the  lower  edges  of 
the  two  uppermost  roof  boards,  one  on  each  side. 

Here  is  showrn  a  folding  coop.  The  sides  are 
hinged  by  iron  pins  seen  at  the  dots  on  the  upper  front 
board  in  the  cut.  The  solid  rear  end  and  slatted  front 
are  both  hinged  to  the  side  and  fold 
inward,  which  permits  the  sides  to 
come  together.  When  "knocked 


38  BIGGIE  POULTRY   BOOK. 

down ' '  a  coop  occupies  but  little  room  when  stored 
under  shelter,  as  all  coops  should  be  when  not  in  use. 
Whatever  the  style  of  coop  used,  the  chicks  should 
be  fed  as  soon  as  they  are  put  into  it.  This  is  best 
done  at  first  on  a  clean  board  laid  on  the  floor  or  just 
in  front  of  the  coop. 

As  to  what  the  first  few  meals  should  consist  of, 
there  is  some  difference  of  opinion  even  among  prac- 
tical poultry  keepers.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  the 
traditional  hard-boiled  egg  is  not  essential  for  the  first, 
or  for  any  other  meal.  When  a  hen  steals  her  nest 
and  brings  off  a  brood,  she  feeds  them  successfully  on 
weed  seeds,  insects  and  sundries  until  she  brings  them 
to  the  poultry  yard  and  they  can  get  the  food  fed  to 
the  rest  of  the  flock. 

Bread  crumbs,  moistened  with  sweet  milk,  are 
acceptable  and  nourishing  for  the  first  meal.  Thou- 
sands are  started  every  year  on  a  mixture  of  corn  meal 
and  bran,  half  and  half  by  bulk,  scalded.  It  is  well  to 
scald  this  sometime  in  advance  of  feeding,  and  allow 
it  to  soak  up  the  water  and  swell.  It  should  be 
crumbly  and  not  pasty.  This  mixture  of  corn  meal 
and  bran  may  be  fed  perfectly  dry,  and  is  so  fed  by 
successful  poultry  growers.  A  person  of  much  experi- 
ence uses  bread  crumbs  and  rolled  oats,  dry,  the  first 
week,  and  then  for  two  weeks  a  mixture  of  equal 
parts  by  bulk  of  bran,  middlings  and  corn  meal,  with 
a  handful  of  meat-meal  to  the  quart  of  the  mixture. 
This  is  scalded  an  hour  before  feeding.  If  the  bowels 
of  the  chicks  are  too  costive  he  adds  more  bran,  if  too 
loose,  more  middlings. 

Many  make  mixtures  like  the  above  into  a  stiff 


CHICKS   WITH   HKNS,  39 

batter  with  milk  and  baking  powder,  bake  well  and 
feed  it  dry.  A  woman  who  has  been  successful  in  this 
line  gives  her  recipe  for  chick-bread  as  follows  :  take 
equal  parts  of  sifted  ground  oats,  corn  and  wheat, 
with  wheat  bran  added  equal  to  the  whole  bulk  of 
ground  feed,  moisten  with  skimmed  milk,  add  suffi- 
cient powder  and  bake.  A  little  raw  lean  meat  or 
finely  cut  raw  bone  and  meat  is  beneficial.  A  little 
only  should  be  given  at  first ;  a  piece  as  big  as  a  grain 
of  corn  is  sufficient  for  a  chick  a  few  days  old.  This 
food  is  not  essential  when  the  grain  ration  is  mixed 
with  milk  or  dried  meat. 

In  feeding  chicks,  as  well  as  fowls,  grass  or  vege- 
tables should  not  be  omitted.  In  the  absence  of  grass 
in  their  runs,  and  in  cold  weather,  chopped  onions,  let- 
tuce, cabbage  or  other  succulent  vegetables  should  be 
supplied.  Short  clippings  from  the  lawn,  fresh,  grassy 
sods,  and  the  sweeping  from  the  barn  floor  carried  to 
their  runs  will  be  relished,  and  furnish  the  needed 
bulky  vegetable  food  and  afford  healthful  exercise. 
Little  chicks  should  have  five  or  six  meals  a  day  until 
three  weeks  old. 

Gritty  matter  is  required  by  chicks  at  the  very 
beginning.  To  supply  it,  sprinkle  coarse  sand  over 
the  board  on  which  they  are  first  fed.  If  confined  in 
houses  or  yards,  or  in  runs  where  grit  is  scarce,  it 
should  be  as  carefully  supplied  as  food.  It  is  well  to 
have  a  small  trough  or  box  in  a  convenient  place  filled 
with  gravel,  broken  oyster  or  clam  shells  and  granu- 
lated charcoal.  The  latter  is  not  valuable  as  grit,  but 
is  very  useful  in  correcting  disorders  of  digestion. 


BIGGIE  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 


A  WATER 

Water  should  be  given  to  the  chicks  from  the 
start.  It  is  best  at  all  times  to  supply  it  in  fountains 
from  which  they  can  drink  but  cannot  get  in  with 
their  feet.  If  supplied  in  open  vessels  they  will  foul 
it  and  contract  colds,  bowel  disease  or  cramps. 
FIG.  i.  A  convenient  water  vessel  for  chicks 

may  be  made  from  an  old  fruit  can  and 
a  flower-pot  saucer,  Figure  i.     Cut  a  notch  or  punch 
a  hole  in  the  side  next  to  the  opened  end,  have  the 
saucer  just  a  little  larger  than  the  can,  fill  can  with 
water,  put  on  saucer  and  invert 
quickly.    When  chicks  are  older, 
the   stone    or   earthen    fountain 
shown  here,  Figure  2,  holding  a 
half-gallon  or  more,  can  be  substituted.    A 
very  convenient  fountain  is  shown  in  Fig- 
ure 3,  as  the  handle  enables 
it  to  be  carried  around  like 

a  bucket.    A  tile  fountain,  preferred  by  some,  is 
shown  in  Figure  4. 

A  common  wooden  bucket,  cut  down  as  shown 
in  the  cut,  makes  a  first-class  water 
vessel,  convenient  to  carry.  It  should  have  a  board 
over  the  top,  or  be  placed  under  a  stool  to  keep  the 
water  cool  and  to  prevent  the  chickens  from  soiling 
it. 


FIG.  3. 


FIG.  4. 


Before  feeding  ground  oats  and  corn  to  little  chicks  sift  out 
the  oat  hulls. 

It  is  all  right  to  have  coops  wind-tight,  but  all  wrong  to  have 
them  air-tight.  Chicks  must  have  ventilation  as  well  as  warmth. 
If  insufficient  air  be  admitted,  the  atmosphere  of  the  coop  be- 
comes not  only  foul,  but  damp. 

As  soon  as  the  brood  is  out  of  the  coop  in  the  morning,  turn 
it  up  to  the  sun  and  air  and  spread  dry  earth  over  the  floor. 
Whitewash  the  inside  often.  At  midday  turn  down  again. 
"  Sweetness  and  light  "  applied  to  coops  ! 

A  strip  of  wire  netting,  one-inch  mesh,  two  feet  wide  and 
about  ten  yards  long,  is  "just  splendid  "  for  making  a  tempo- 
rary yard  for  a  hen  and  her  young  brood.  Easy  to  put  up,  easy 
to  move,  and  much  better  than  the  old  style  yard  made  of  foot 
boards  set  on  edge. 

To  make  small  runs  for  little  chicks,  make  the  sides  of  wide 
boards  and  cover  with  wire  netting.  This  is  better  than  making 
high  fences.  Old  fowls  cannot  get  into  these  covered  runs  and 
the  chicks  cannot  crawl  out  through  the  wire,  even  if  the  mesh 
be  wide. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
CARE  OF  YOUNG  CHICKS  IN  BROODERS. 

Feed  young  poultry  of  all  kinds  early  and  late  and  often. 

— Harriet. 

The  rearing  of  chicks  in 
brooders  does  not  differ  mater- 
ially from  the  ordinary  method, 
except  that  the  intelligent  in- 

stinct   exercised  by  the  hen  in 

LAUNCHED  IN  A  COLD     caring   for  her  brood  has  to  be 

WORLD.  •         T    , 

exercised  by  the  attendant. 

Whether  the  chicks  should  be  removed  from  the 
incubator  soon  after  hatching  or  be  left  until  nearly 
all  are  out  of  the  shell,  depends  a  good  deal  on  the 
construction  of  the  machine,  especially  of  the  egg- 
drawer.  On  this  point  the  manufacturer  should  give 
explicit  directions.  As  a  rule,  it  is  advisable  to  darken 
any  windows  that  may  admit  light  to  the  egg-drawer 
during  the  hatching  process,  to  remove  chicks  as  their 
down  becomes  dry,  and  all  empty  shells,  but  to  open 
the  incubator  as  little  as  possible.  While  the  chicks 
are  hatching  the  temperature  is  apt  to  rise  but  should 
not  be  allowed  to  go  above  105  degrees.  The  removal  of 
a  basketful  of  chicks  will  cause  the  temperature  to  drop 
suddenly,  a  large  amount  of  animal  heat  being  thus 
withdrawn.  Care  must  be  taken  to  replace  it  by  a  sur- 
plus from  the  lamp.  If  the  regulator  at  this  stage  fails 
to  act,  the  chicks  and  eggs  left  in  the  machine  may 


44  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

suffer  a  chill  that  will  prove  fatal.  The  attendant  must, 
therefore,  be  very  watchful  at  this  time. 

As  soon  as  the  chicks  are  dry  there  should  be  a 
brooder  ready  into  which  they  may  be  put  to  remain 
for  thirty-six  hours,  where  they  may  learn  to  eat  and 
run  out  and  into  the  shelter  of  their  silent  mother. 

The  natural  mother  is  just  as  warm  when  hovering 
her  brood  as  when  sitting  on  the  eggs.  The  proper 
temperature  of  this  first  brooder  must,  therefore,  be 
close  to  the  hatching  heat,  say  90  to  96  degrees.  This 
should  be  the  heat  of  the  center  of  brooder  around 
which  the  chicks  hover  and  from  which  they  can  move 
away  when  too  warm.  A  brooder  shaped  like  a  box, 
that  has  warm  corners,  or  that  has  a  uniform  tempera- 
ture at  all  parts  from  which  the  chicks  cannot  escape 
is  not  safe.  In  a  properly  constructed  brooder  they 
quickly  learn  when  too  warm  to  move  away  from  the 
heat  just  as  they  do  from  the  body  of  the  hen.  They 
also  learn  where  the  source  of  heat  is  and  will  run  to 
it  when  cold,  but  for  the  first  two  days  it  may  be 
necessary  to  occasionally  push  them  under  cover  to 
show  them  the  way. 

Instinct  teaches  the  young  bird  to  eat.  The  cluck 
of  the  mother  hen  and  her  pecking  at  the  food  calls 
attention  to  it  and  they  follow  her  example.  When 
feeding  brooder  chicks  for  the  first  time,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  place  them  in  the  light  and  to  drop  the 
food  before  them  in  such  a  manner  that  their  attention 
will  be  called  to  it. 

For  the  first  week  the  brood  should  be  fed  either 
in  or  beside  the  brooder  and  be  confined  near  the  heat 
so  that  they  cannot  stray  away  and  become  chilled. 


CHICKS   WITH   BROODERS.  45 

Much  of  the  sickness  and  mortality  that  befalls  brooder 
chicks  is  due  to  chilling  while  they  are  very  young,  or 
from  foul  air  and  dampness  in  badly  constructed 
brooders. 

After  ten  days,  the  temperature  of  the  brooder 
may  be  reduced  to  80  or  85  degrees,  and  still  lower  in 
two  weeks  more.  As  chicks  grow  they  generate  more 
and  more  heat  when  they  nestle  together,  and  so  re- 
quire less  in  the  brooder.  When  the  weather  becomes 
warm  it  may  be  necessary  to  shut  off  all  heat  in  the 
day-time  and  during  warm  nights. 

Manufacturers  are  prone  to  rate  the  capacity  of 
their  brooders  too  high.  A  brood  of  fifty  is  large 
enough  no  matter  what  the  capacity  of  the  brooder 
may  be.  Broods  of  one  hundred  can  be  handled  until 
a  month  old,  but  after  this  stage  is  reached  such  a  flock 
outgrows  the  largest  single  brooder  or  apartment. 
Much  harm  is  done  by  the  common  practice  of  put- 
ting large  numbers  together. 

Each  brood  of  fifty  chicks  should  have  an  outside 
run  of  not  less  than  one  hundred  square  feet  in  which 
to  exercise  until  a  month  old.  After  this  age  they 
should  have  free  range. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  brooders,  some  warmed 
by  hot  air,  others  by  hot  water ;  some  furnish  bottom 
heat,  others  top  heat,  and  still  others  diffuse  a  current 
of  warm  air  from  the  center  outward. 
One  of  the  latter  is  shown  in  Figure  i. 
Some  are  built  for  indoor  and  others  for 
outdoor  use  ;  a  double  outdoor  brooder 
is  shown  in  Figure  2.  In  raising  large  FlG-  *• 

numbers,   single  brooders  in  separate   buildings   are 


46  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

used  by  some,  while  others  prefer  long  houses  con- 
taining many  apartments,  with  an  individual  brooder 
in  each.  In  these  long  houses  some  employ  a  green- 
house heating  apparatus,  warming  the  brooders  by  a 
system  of  hot- water  pipes. 

On  general  principles  it  may  be  said  that  bottom 
heat  is  practicable  in  mild  weather  only,  when  little 
artificial  heat  is  required.  Top  heat,  such  as  is  obtained 
by  radiation  from  a  tank  of  hot  water  overhead,  is  un- 
natural and  gives  good  results  only  when  the  tank  is 
narrow  and  so  placed  as  to 
prevent  crowding  into 
corners  under  it.  The 
system  nearest  to  nature 
is  that  which  tempers  the 
FIG.  2.  floor  and  the  whole  atmos- 

phere of  the  brooder  and  gives  off  the  greatest  amount 
of  warmth  either  by  radiation,  or  by  diffusing  a  current 
of  warm  pure  air  from  the  center. 

It  may  be  said  in  favor  of  long  brooder  houses 
containing  many  apartments  that  they  are  economical 
to  build  and  manage ;  against  them,  that  they  are  ex- 
pensive to  maintain  unless  run  at  full  capacity. 

In  favor  of  individual  brooders  and  small  movable 
houses  it  may  be  said,  they  may  be  moved  to  new, 
clean  ground  whenever  desirable;  the  flocks  can  be 
kept  separate  when  disease  comes  to  one  part  of  the 
poultry  yard ;  if  fire  breaks  out  in  one  house  it  need 
not  destroy  all,  and  when  the  birds  are  old  enough  the 
brooder  can  be  removed,  perches  put  in  and  the  house 
affords  a  home  for  the  flock  until  sold  or  moved  to  the 
hennery. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
GROWING   EARLY   BROILERS. 

The  early  bird  catches  the  worm. 

Early  eggs,  early  sitters  ;  early  sitters,  early  chickens  ;  early 
chickens ,  early  eggs  and  early  profits. — Tim. 

Broiler  chickens  are  chickens  of  suitable  size  for 
broiling.  The  size  established  by  convenience  and 
custom  is  a  weight  of  one  to  two  pounds  each.  When 
much  above  this  weight  they  pass  as  roasting  chick- 
ens. Birds  of  this  weight  are  tender  and  toothsome 
and  are  consumed  mostly  by  persons  who  are  able  to 
pay  well  for  the  gratification  of  their  tastes.  The 
demand  comes  from  wealthy  private  families  and 
high-class  hotels  and  restaurants. 

The  market  for  broilers  opens  soon  after  the  New 
Year  begins  but  is  not  at  its  best  until  asparagus 
appears.  From  the  middle  of  IN  larch  to  the  middle  of 
June,  a  period  of  three  months,  there  is  generally  a 
brisk  demand  for  them.  With  the  beginning  of  July, 
light-weight  broilers  are  little  called  for,  heavier 
weights  are  wanted,  and  as  the  weight  goes  up  the 
price  goes  down,  so  that  the  poultry  keeper  finds  it  to 
his  interest  to  keep  his  birds  and  feed  them  until  they 
reach  the  "  roasting  "  size,  say  six  to  eight  pounds  per 
pair.  Growing  broilers  is  winter  work,  as  they  must 
all  be  hatched  and  reared  during  the  most  unfavorable 
season  for  such  operations.  Hatching  begins  in  No- 
vember and  ends  with  April,  for  the  chickens,  except 


50  BIGGLK   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

such  as  are  to  be  reserved  for  breeding,  must  all  be  in 
market  soon  after  the  last  of  June. 

During  the  first  half  of  this  hatching  period  it  is 
difficult  to  secure  eggs  of  any  kind,  and  especially 
such  as  are  fertile  and  will  produce  strong  chicks. 
The  difficulty  is  the  greatest  just  when  the  need  for 
eggs  is  most  imperative. 

Provision  must  be  made  for  overcoming  this  diffi- 
culty or  the  whole  business  will  fail.  To  buy  eggs  in 
the  general  market  is  a  very  unsatisfactory  method  of 
obtaining  them.  They  are  apt  to  be  stale  or  infertile, 
or  from  undesirable  stock. 

The  only  safe  way  to  get  good  eggs  is  to  own  and 
feed  the  breeding  stock,  or  to  buy  of  those  who  know 
how  to  produce  eggs  for  this  purpose. 

As  the  hens  are  to  lay  in  winter  they  must  be  sur- 
rounded to  some  extent  with  summer  conditions. 
This  means  that  they  must  have  comfortable  houses, 
food  suitable  for  producing  eggs  and  plenty  of  exercise. 

Whatever  treatment  hens  may  receive  they  will 
not  lay  well  if  moulting,  nor  if  they  have  been  put 
through  a  forcing  process  during  the  summer.  The 
first  eggs  laid  by  pullets  are  of  little  value  for  hatch- 
ing. The  hens  selected  for  making  up  the  breeding 
stock  should  be  well  over  their  moult,  not  too  fat  and 
in  good  health.  If  pullets  are  chosen  they  should  be 
from  the  early  broods. 

The  hens  most  likely  to  meet  the  requirements 
Oi  the  case  during  November  and  December  will  be 
found  among  those  hatched  late  in  the  previous  sum- 
mer and  fall.  By  the  time  these  are  exhausted  the 
older  hens  and  early  pullets  will  be  ready  to  continue 
the  egg  supply. 


BROII,KRS.  51 

Suitable  hens  having  been  secured  they  should  be 
mated  with  early-hatched  cockerels. 

Since  the  work  of  caring  for  the  chicks  in  winter 
weather  is  arduous,  and  as  prices  decline  rapidly  after 
a  certain  date,  it  is  of  much  importance  to  the  poultry 
keeper  to  have  chicks  that  grow  to  the  proper  size  in 
the  least  possible  time.  There  is  a  difference  in 
breeds  and  crosses  in  respect  to  quickness  of  growth. 
Some  will  attain  to  a  merchantable  weight  in  eight 
weeks,  while  others  will  require  from  ten  to  sixteen 
weeks. 

Among  the  pure  breeds  that  make  quick-growing 
broiler  chicks  may  be  mentioned  Wyandottes,  Ply- 
mouth Rocks  and  Light  Brahmas.  Leghorns  grow 
quickly  to  the  broiler  stage,  but  are  rather  small. 
They  make  a  good  cross  with  Brahmas  and  Cochins, 
Leghorn  males  being  mated  with  the  Asiatic  hens. 

As  broilers  when  they  are  dressed  for  market  are  in 
the  pin-feather  stage,  it  is  desirable  that  these  feathers 
should  be  light  in  color,  for  if  dark  the  smallest  one 
left  on  the  carcass  is  apparent,  and  the  large  ones 
when  plucked  leave  a  stain  on  the  skin.  For  rearing 
broilers,  therefore,  fowls  of  light  plumage,  other 
qualities  being  equal,  should  always  be  chosen.  Buff- 
colored  fowls  have  light  colored  pin-feathers  and  are 
always  safe  to  use  for  this  purpose. 

When  the  appearance  of  the  carcass  is  not  a  mat- 
ter of  importance  it  is  safe  to  use  any  Mediterranean- 
Asiatic  cross.  Houdau  males  may  also  be  used  with 
Asiatics  or  with  Dorkings  with  good  results.  A  Ply- 
mouth Rock  or  Houdan  cross  with  a  breed  having  any 
black  in  the  plumage  is  apt  to  produce  progeny  with 


POULTRY   BOOK. 


solid  black  plumage.  To  secure  both  light  pin- 
feathers  and  the  yellow  skin  so  much  prized  in  some 
markets,  a  White  Leghorn-Buff  Cochin  cross  will  fill 
the  bill.  A  White  Plymouth  Rock-Buff  Cochin  cross 
is  also  to  be  commended  both  for  broilers  and  larger 
roasting  chickens. 

The  hatching  of  broiler  chicks  on  a  large  scale 
must  be  done  with  incubators,  since  but  few  hens  are 
broody  in  fall  and  early  winter.  The  brooding  must 
also  be  done  in  artificial  mothers,  and  for  the  most 
part,  under  cover  of  a  good  roof. 

An  individual  brooder  house  in 
common  use  among  broiler  raisers 
is  shown  here.  It  is  five  feet  four 
inches  by  eight  feet  on  the  ground. 
The  roof  in  front  is  divided  into 
two  parts,  three  feet  are  covered  by  wire  netting  and 
over  this  cotton  cloth  which  may  be  rolled  up  when 
weather  permits ;  the  other  part  is  the  door  for  the 
attendant.  The  rear  wall  is  three  feet  six  inches  and 
the  front  one  foot  nine  inches.  A  yard  four  by  six- 
teen feet  extends  from  one  side. 

A  section  of  a  good  type  of  a  long  house  is  shown 
in  perspective  at  Figure  i.  It  is  eighteen  feet  wide, 
divided  into  pens  three  feet  wide,  each  containing  a 
brooder  designed  to  hover  fifty  chicks.  By  reference 
to  Figure  2  it  will  be  seen  that  the  glass  run  is  shut 

off  from  the  house  by 
a  solid,  hanging  door 
that  swings  inward 
against  the  front  wall. 
This  is  opened  in  the 


EARIvY   BROILERS.  53 

day-time  to  give  plenty  of  sunlight,  and  closed  at 
night  to  shut  out  the  cold  that  enters  through  the  glass. 
It  is  seven  feet  high  in  front  and  four  and  one-half 
at  the  back.  The  passageway  is  at  the  rear  and  is 
sunk  sixteen  inches,  thus  allowing  the  building  to 
be  made  low  without  compelling  the  attendant  to 
stoop.  The  brooders  are  set  along  this  passageway 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  bring  their  floors  on  a  level 
with  the  floor  of  the  house.  Light  and  ventilation 
are  both  supplied  from  the  rear 
as  well  as  from  the  front  wall. 

One  who  has  raised  thou- 
sands of  broilers  successfully 
gives  his  method  of  feeding  as  FlG-  2- 

follows  :  '  *  I  give  no  feed  for  thirty-six  hours,  and  don 't 
allow  them  to  go  more  than  a  foot  from  the  brooder. 

"  For  the  first  two  weeks  I  feed  them  cake  made 
as  follows :  two  quarts  coarse  corn  meal,  one  quart 
bran,  one  quart  middlings,  one  teacup  ground  meat 
(be  sure  that  there  is  no  pork  or  fish  about  it),  one  cup 
fine  bone,  wet  writh  a  scant  pint  of  water.  The  secret 
in  making  this  cake  is  in  not  getting  too  much  water 
in  it  and  in  baking  it  thoroughly  in  a  quick  oven. 
Feed  three  times  a  day  all  they  will  eat  up  clean  in  a 
short  time.  Overfeeding  is  a  cause  of  bowel  trouble. 
Give  them  all  the  water  they  want,  with  the  chill 
taken  off. 

"  After  the}'  are  two  weeks  old  I  take  one  quart  of 
corn  and  oats  sifted,  one  quart  bran,  one  pint  each  of 
middlings  and  coarse  corn  meal,  a  cup  each  of  meat 
and  bone,  moisten  with  hot  water  and  let  it  stand  a 
short  time.  I  add  some  of  this  to  the  cake  gradually 


54  BIGGIE   POULTRY   BOOK. 

until  they  are  three  weeks  old,  then  I  drop  the  cake 
and  feed  the  other  until  they  are  six  weeks  or  two 
months  old.  Then  I  take  two  quarts  corn  and  oats 
ground,  one  quart  corn  meal,  one  quart  middlings,  one 
pint  of  bran,  one  pint  each  of  bone  and  meat,  wet 
with  hot  water,  using  more  water  than  for  the  small 
chicks.  Let  it  swell  before  feeding. 

1  'Charcoal  is  very  necessary  to  keep  chicks 
healthy.  Have  it  ground  fine  and  keep  before  them 
all  the  time,  also  ground  flint.  I  hash  them  up  onions 
and  cabbage  occasionally. 

"  Don't  let  the  chicks  run  out  in  the  yard  in 
winter  until  they  are  a  month  old." 


SPRING  CHICKENS. 

Rub  off  the  dusty  windows  and  let  in  the  light. 

I,ettuce  affords  a  quick-growing  and  choice  green  food. 

The  market  has  never  yet  been  overstocked  with  broilers. 

A  thrifty  chick  will  weigh  one  pound  when  six  weeks  old. 

It  does  not  pay  to  feed  runts.  Weed  them  out  and  fertilize 
the  garden. 

Dry  earth  is  the  best  and  cheapest  disinfectant  and  deodor- 
izer obtainable.  Store  plenty  of  it. 

If  you  can't  get  milk  and  can  get  creamery  whey,  use  it. 
While  not  equal  to  milk  it  is  a  good  substitute. 

Raw  chopped  onions  fed  at  night  are  said  to  be  a  safeguard 
against  roup.  They  are  wholesome  at  any  rate. 

Let  the  flock  have  a  space  on  the  ground  somewhere  covered 
with  litter,  and  keep  them  in  a  state  of  activity. 

Pour  boiling  water  on  wheat  and  let  it  soak  over  night. 
Give  the  broilers  in  the  fattening  coop  an  occasional  feed  of  it. 

Cash  in  the  pocket  is  not  in  danger  of  gapes,  cats,  crows, 
rats,  roup  or  cholera,  and  therefore  is  better  than  the  chickens 
in  the  coop,  if  they  are  old  enough  for  market. 

Boiled  rice,  sweetened  with  brown  sugar,  is  excellent  for 
putting  the  finishing  touches  on  the  early  broilers.  Give  them 
one  or  two  meals  a  day  for  a  week  before  sending  them  to  mar- 
ket. Broken  rice  can  be  bought  cheap. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


HENS  EXPRESSLY  FOR  EGG  PRODUCTION. 


The  best  "  egg  producer"  is  good  food  and  plenty  of  it. 
The  hen  that  sits  on  the  roost  or  fence  in  zero  weather,  or 
stands  on  one  leg  in  the  snow  all  day,  is  not  a  winter  layer. 

— Harriet. 

Keeping  hens  for  laying  purposes  chiefly  is  a 
profitable  part  of  the  poultry  business  when  rightly 
conducted  and  when  the  surrounding  conditions  are 
favorable. 

The  selection  of  the  laying  stock  is  a  matter  of 
much  importance.  There  is  the  "laying  type" 
among  hens  just  as  there  is  the  "  milk  type  "  among 
dairy  cows.  These  are  found 
to  some  extent  among  all 
breeds  but  in  larger  propor- 
tion among  the  Mediterranean 
class.  Generally  speaking, 
good  layers  are  fine -boned. 
This  is  seen  in  the  shank  which 
is  slender  and  relatively  short. 
This  feature  is  determined  by 
comparing  specimens  of  each 
breed  by  themselves,  that  is,  Leghorn  hens  must  be 
compared  with  Leghorn  hens ;  Brahma  hens  with 
Brahma  hens,  etc.  A  small  feminine  head  with  promi- 
nent eyes  and  a  slender  neck  are  also  indications  of  a 
good  layer,  just  as  similar  features  in  a  cow  betoken  a 
copious  milker.  The  body  of  a  good  layer  is  rather 
long  and  wed^e-shaped,  smaller  in  front  than  back. 


ONE   OF  THE    "LAYING 
TYPE." 


58  BIGGLE  POULTRY   BOOK. 

The  good  layer  is  of  a  lively,  active,  restless  disposi- 
tion, ready  to  play  or  fight  with  her  companions  and 
always  in  search  of  something  to  do  or  to  eat. 

Any  one  who  has  been  a  careful  observer  of  hens 
will  recognize  the  business  hen  as  soon  as  his  eyes  rest 
upon  her.  Hens  of  the  opposite  character  are  just  as 
readily  detected  by  their  coarse-boned  shanks,  thick 
necks,  masculine  heads  and  masculine  make-up. 

The  breed  to  be  chosen  for  layers  will  depend 
partly  on  the  taste  of  the  poultry  keeper,  to  some 
extent  on  the  market  in  which  the  eggs  are  to  be  sold, 
and  on  whether  the  owner  wishes  to  combine  meat 
production  and  the  sale  of  pure-bred  eggs  for  hatching 

r 

mmgm^ml 


j^Sra^HSS^ia^as^^^^^^^^^^^-.  - 

HOUSES   AND   YARDS   OF   A    FANCY    POULTRY   RAISER. 

with  the  market-egg  business.  The  breed  that  every- 
body pronounces  "best"  for  laying  or  for  any  other 
purpose  has  not  yet  been  discovered.  Some  prefer 
pure-bred  hens,  others  crosses. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  the  Mediterranean 
breeds  lay  the  largest  number  of  eggs.  Their  eggs 
are  mostly  white  or  but  slightly  tinted,  and  have  thin 


HENS  FOR   EGGS.  59 

shells.  Their  color  is  objectionable  in  some  markets 
and  their  fragile  shells  render  them  more  liable  to 
break  in  shipping.  When  the  surplus  hens  have  to 
be  marketed  for  meat,  they  do  not  make  first-class 
dressed  poultry.  What,  therefore,  is  gained  in  the 
number  of  eggs  may  be  partly  or  wholly  lost  in  sell- 
ing the  dressed  meat.  This  is  the  argument  on  one 
side.  On  the  other  side  it  is  maintained  that  the 
small  breeds  seldom  become  broody,  mature  quickly 
and  come  quickly  into  profit,  and  that  these  facts 
combined  with  the  increased  number  of  eggs  laid, 
compensate  for  any  loss  in  weight  or  price  of  carcass. 

Those  who  combine  the  raising  of  broiler  and 
roasting  chickens  or  capons  with  the  production  of 
eggs,  generally  choose  the  American  breeds  or  crosses. 

When  a  poultry  keeper  can  find  sale  for  pure-bred 
eggs  and  fowls  in  connection  with  his  egg  business, 
the  breed  that  is  most  popular  with  buyers  is  the  breed 
he  is  apt  to  prefer. 

Those  who  have  a  special  or  private  trade  for 
darkly  tinted  eggs  should  select  Wyandottes,  Plymouth 
Rocks,  Rhode  Island  Reds  and  Brahmas. 

Cochins,  Poland  and  the  English  class  are  seldom 
chosen  for  stocking  an  egg  farm. 

Whether  a  poultry  keeper  shall  raise  his  own  hens 
or  buy  them,  depends  on  various  circumstances.  Fully 
one  half  of  all  chickens  raised  will  be  cockerels.  If, 
therefore!  five  hundred  pullets  are  wanted,  one  thou- 
sand chickens  must  be  raised,  and  more  than  this  must 
be  hatched,  for  some  will  always  die  before  reaching 
a  marketable  size.  Some  who  practice  the  rearing  of 
their  own  layers,  give  at  least  plausible  figures  to  prove 


60  BIGGIE  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

that  the  sale  of  cockerels  yields  enough  profit  to  pay 
for  the  raising  of  the  pullets  to  the  laying  age,  so  that 
they  cost  practically  nothing.  This  may  be  a  rosy 
view,  true  only  in  certain  favorable  conditions.  It  is 
undoubtedly  true  that  those  who  grow  their  own  stock 
can  have  the  kind  they  want,  and  are  not  compelled 
to  take  a  motley  collection  such  as  can  be  gathered  by 
promiscuous  purchase. 

The  managers  of  some  of  the  large  egg  farms  fur- 
nish eggs  for  hatching,  from  such  stock  as  they  choose, 
to  farmers  in  the  surrounding  country  to  hatch  for 
them,  and  buy  the  pullets  at  a  certain  age  and  price 
agreed  upon  between  the  contracting  parties.  This 
plan  works  well,  as  it  leaves  the  operator  free  to  give 
his  entire  time  to  the  care  of  the  layers,  and  also  per- 
mits him  to  conduct  his  business  on  a  smaller  area  and 
with  less  capital.  For  without  the  rearing  attachment 
less  land,  fewer  buildings,  and  less  labor  are  required. 

The  most  successful  hen  farms  consist  mainly  of 
houses  with  yards  of  only  moderate  size.  Free  range 
is  not  a  necessity  for  hens  kept  chiefly  for  eggs.  It  is 
stoutly  affirmed  by  those  who  have  had  experience 
with  both  methods  that  with  proper  care  a  flock  will 
produce  a  fifth  more  eggs  in  confinement  than  when 
at  liberty.  Greater  care  is  required  with  shut-in  hens, 
but  there  are  compensating  advantages:  they  are 
under  the  attendant's  eye  at  all  times,  are  easily  con- 
trolled, fed  and  tended,  and  out  of  danger  from  en- 
emies, and  cannot  commit  depredations  on  the  field  or 
garden  crops  of  their  owner  or  his  neighbors. 

Kxcept  in  sections  where  land  is  low  in  price  and 
deep  snow  does  not  fall,  the  plan  of  colonizing  hens  in 


HENS  FOR   EGGS.  6 1 

small  houses  scattered  over  many  acres,  and  giving 
them  free  range,  is  not  at  all  feasible  when  the  object 
is  to  produce  market  eggs. 

The  style  of  house  most  economical  to  build,  and 
that  best  serves  its  purpose  on  an  egg  farm,  is  a  long, 
low  shed-roofed  structure,  divided  into  apartments 
and  facing  south  or  southeast.  Several  typical  build- 
ings of  this  description  are  owned  by  a  noted  egg 
farmer.  They  are  each  two  hundred  and  sixteen  feet 
long,  ten  feet  wide,  seven  feet  high  in  front  and  four 
and  one-half  feet  in  the  rear.  The  front  leans  back 
one  foot,  making  it  exactly  ten  feet  wide,  saving  two 
hundred  and  sixteen  feet  of  roofing,  and  giving  the 
windows  a  slant  so  as  to  get  a  stronger  sunlight  on  the 
floor.  Hemlock  frame  and  boards  are  used,  the  front 
battened  and  the  roof  and  rear  wall  covered  with  tarred 
felt.  The  interior  is  partitioned  off  every  twenty-four 
feet,  giving  two  hundred  and  forty  square  feet  of  floor 
space  to  each  apartment.  There  are  two  large  win- 
dows to  the  front  of  each  room,  these  are  made  to 
slide  and  serve  also  as  doors  into  the  yards  in  front. 
The  partitions  are  boarded  up  three  feet,  and  wire 
netting  used  above  the  boards.  There  is  a  gate  two 
feet  wide  on  the  front  side  of  each  partition,  hung 
with  double-acting  spring  hinges,  so  the  attendant  can 
walk  right  through  with  two  pails  of  feed  or  water 
without  stopping  to  open  or  close  them.  A  platform 
twenty-eight  inches  wide,  two  feet  above  the  floor, 
runs  along  the  rear  of  each  room,  and  ten  inches  above 
this  platform  is  a  perch.  The  nests  are  placed  under- 
neath the  platform  on  the  floor,  the  hens  entering 
from  the  rear.  These  houses  all  have  earth  floors- 


62  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

Each  apartment  accommodates  thirty  to  forty  hens, 
and  each  flock  has  a  yard  in  front  of  its  apartment 
twenty-four  by  sixty-four  feet,  in  which  are  growing 
one  or  two  peach  or  plum  trees.  These  houses  for 
convenience,  cheapness  and  practical  business  cannot 
easily  be  excelled. 

The  general  rules  of  feeding  given  in  Chapter  II 
when  treating  of  the  best  method  of  getting  fertile 
eggs  for  hatching,  will  apply  in  this  case. 

It  will,  however,  be  entirely  safe  in  feeding  hens  for 
market  eggs  alone  to  force  them  a  little  harder  by  feed- 
ing more  highly  seasoned  and  more  nitrogenous  foods 
than  would  be  advisable  when  hatching  eggs  are  wanted. 

On  every  egg  farm  there  should  be  a  large  boiler 
or  steam  cooker  for  cooking  vegetables  and  making 
compounds  of  meat,  ground  grain  and  vegetables.  A 
good  morning  ration  may  be  made  of  equal  parts  of 
corn  meal,  fine  middlings, bran,  ground  oats  and  ground 
meat.  This  should  be  stirred  into  a  pot  of  cooked 
vegetables  while  boiling  hot  until  the  mass  is  as  stiff 
as  can  be  manipulated  by  a  pair  of  strong  arms.  Sea-  ' 
soned  with  salt  and  cayenne  pepper.  Potatoes,  beets,  I 
carrots,  turnips,  onions  or  any  vegetable  clean  ancr^ 
free  from  decay  will  be  acceptable.  Cut  clover  hay 
may  be  substituted  for  vegetables  for  an  occasional 
meal.  The  above  contains  a  variety  of  food  elements 
stich  as  compose  the  egg,  bone  and  muscle  of  the  hen, 
the  fat-forming  elements  not  being  prominent.  For 
the  noon  meal,  wheat  is  the  best  single  grain.  It  may 
be  mixed  with  good  oats  and  scattered  in  chaff  or 
leaves  on  the  feeding  floor.  The  night  feed  should  be 
a  light  one,  consisting  of  whole  corn. 


HENS   FOR   EGGS.  63 

Plenty  of  fresh,  clean  water  is  just  as  essential  as 
food.  Sharp  gravel  or  grit  of  some  kind  is  as  much 
needed  as  food  and  water,  and  should  be  accessible  at 
all  times. 

Green  bones  and  meat  shaved  in  the  modern  bone 
cutters  is  a  prime  article  for  laying  hens.  It  may  be 
fed  to  advantage  in  place  of  the  ground,  dry  meat, 
three  days  in  the  week,  an  ounce  to  each  hen.  Those 
who  are  near  large  cities  can  sometimes  get  cooked 
lean  meat  and  bone  from  bone-boiling  establishments. 
This  is  an  excellent  form  of  meat  for  use  in  cool 
weather.  All  forms  of  meat  should  be  fed  cautiously, 
a  little  at  first  and  more  as  the  fowls  become  accus- 
tomed to  it. 

Some  of  the  most  successful  persons  in  this  busi- 
ness have  land  in  addition  to  their  poultry  yards  and 
raise  a  considerable  portion  of  the  food  the  hens  eat. 

The  farm  is  run  in  the  interests  of  the  hens.  If 
cows  are  kept  the  skim-milk  is  fed  to  the  hens.  All 
vegetables  except  such  as  are  used  in  the  family,  or 
are  extra  fine  and  command  an  extra  price,  find  their 
way  to  the  poultry  yard.  Clover,  oats,  wheat,  rye  and 
corn  fodder  are  harvested  green,  run  through  a  fodder 
cutter  and  fed  to  the  hens.  Cabbages  are  raised  and 
buried,  turnips  and  beets  are  grown  and  stored  for 
winter  feeH-'ng.  Any  clover  not  needed  for  summer 
feeding  is  cured  and  used  in  winter. 

For  the  health  of  the  hens,  and  to  secure  the 
largest  egg  production,  it  is  necessary  to  furnish  an 
abundance  of  succulent  and  bulky  food  along  with  the 
more  concentrated  grains  and  meat.  It  is  cheaper 
to  raise  this  than  to  buy  it,  while  the  grains  an,*. 


64  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

meat  can  probably  be  bought  cheaper  than  they  can 
be  raised. 

On  an  egg  farm  the  most  exacting  labor  is  required 
in  winter,  for  the  wise  manager  aims  to  produce  win- 
ter eggs,  since  prices  are  then  at  their  best.  Summer 
is  a  season  of  comparative  leisure  in  the  hennery  and 
the  extra  help  required  in  the  winter  may  be  profit- 
ably employed  on  the  farm  in  growing  necessary 
supplies. 

As  to  how  long  hens  should  be  kept  for  laying 
authorities  do  not  agree,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  they 
should  ever  be  retained  long  after  they  have  passed 
the  spring  months  of  their  second  year.  During 
spring  and  early  summer  dressed  hens  command 
good  prices.  So  fast,  therefore,  as  they  show  signs  or 
breaking  down  with  too  much  fat,  quit  laying  and 
become  broody,  they  should  be  started  on  their  way  to 
market.  By  midsummer  the  stock  in  the  houses 
should  be  reduced  to  one-half  or  less  of  the  full  win- 
ter complement  and  consist  only  of  the  best  of  the 
yearlings. 

Cut  green  clover  fine,  and  feed  it  to  all  fowls  confined  in 
yards.    Splendid. 

Observe  how  a  flock  will  nestle  on  a  well-littered  floor  in 
winter.    A  hint  to  the  wise. 

Snow  is  a  poor  substitute  for  water.    Fowls  should  not  be 
compelled  to  eat  it  to  quench  their  thirst. 

This  is  a  fairly  well  balanced  daily  ration  for  one  hundred 
hens  : 

Clover  Hay 2.74  Ibs. 

Potatoes 2.74 

Corn  Meal       5-48 

Ground  Oats         2.74 

Cottonseed  Meal 274 

Barley  Meal 2.192 

Total i6.i661bf 

or,  in  round  numbers,  sixteen  pounds  of  the  mixture. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  FARMER'S  FLOCK. 

Givs  the  hen  a  good  chance  to  scratch  and  she  will  raise  that 
mortgage  for  you. 

A  hen  will  eat  anything  a  hog  will  eat  and  make  a  good  deal 
better  use  of  it.—  Tim's  Wife. 

The  larger  part  of  all  the  eggs  and  poultry  sold  in 
the  markets  of  the  great  cities  and  smaller  towns 
comes  from  the  farmer's  flock.  The  amount  from 
each  is  small,  but  the  aggregate  immense.  When 
proper  attention  is  given  to  this  flock  the  profit  is  as 
large,  if  not  larger,  than  from  any  other  part  of  the 
farm  operations. 

The  mistake  of  keeping  too  small  a  number  of 
fowls  is  sometimes,  though  rarely,  made.  Fowls,  with 
their  omnivorous  and  voracious  appetites,  are  excellent 
scavengers,  and  if  allowed  the  privileges  of  the  prem- 
ises will  utilize  much  that  would  otherwise  go  to  waste. 
This  wastage  on  large  farms  is  sufficient  to  supply  a 
flock  of  one  hundred  laying  hens  three-fourths  of  all 
the  food  they  need  ;  if  but  ten  or  twenty  be  kept 
there  will  be  more  or  less  loss. 

The  much  more  frequent  mistake  is  made  of  over- 
stocking. The  wastage  is  consumed,  the  crops  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  buildings  are  destroyed,  large  quanti- 
ties of  grain  in  addition  are  fed,  the  houses  are  crowded 
to  suffocation,  and  the  ground  in  the  entire  circle  of 
the  farm  buildings  becomes  befouled.  All  may  go 


68  BIGGIE  POULTRY   BOOK. 

well  for  a  few  years  and  then  disease  invades  and  dis- 
aster comes,  and  the  farmer  arrives  at  the  conclusion 
that  there  is  no  profit  in  chickens. 

The  size  of  the  flock  should  be  regulated  by  the 
circumstances  surrounding  each  case.  Large  stock 
firms  where  large  quantities  of  grain  are  used,  where 
there  is  plenty  of  grass,  numerous  shelter-sheds  and 
no  truck  gardens  near  the  house,  furnish  favorable 
conditions  for  keeping  a  large  flock  with  profit. 

Dairy  farms, 
also,    where 
grass    and 
skim  -  milk   are    avail- 
able, will  support  eco- 
nomically a  big  flock  of  lay- 
^ —    ing  hens  or  grow  capons  of 
good   quality.     One   who   follows 
trucking    or    small     fruit     growing 
must  limit    his    flocks 
or  confine   them  in 
yards  during   the  grow- 
ing and  fruiting  season, 
which  adds  to  the  ex- 
pense  and  care.     If 
PETER  TUMBLEDOWN'S  POULTRY     properly    managed   the 

expense  and  care  will 

be  repaid,  because  on  such  farms  there  is  a  con- 
siderable offal  that  can  be  utilized  for  poultry  food. 
Too  little  care  is  given  by  the  average  farmer  to 
the  breeding  of  his  flock.  The  quickest  way  to  raise 
the  standard  of  such  a  flock  with  little  expense  is  to 
cull  out  and  sell  old,  broken  down,  scrubby  and  infer- 


THE  FARMER'S  FI,OCK.  69 

ior  specimens  and  mate  the  balance  with  pure-bred 
males.  If  it  is  desired  to  increase  the  size  use  males 
a  little  larger  than  the  common  stock.  Very  large 
males  should  never  be  used  with  small  or  medium 
hens.  If  the  hens  are  large  and  heavy  use  a  male  a 
little  smaller.  This  process  may  be  continued  to  ad- 
vantage each  year,  but  always  use  pure-bred  and 
never  the  cross-bred  males.  The  pure-bred  birds  may 
be  hatched  from  eggs  bought  or  they  may  be  pur- 
chased late  in  summer  or  autumn  from  breeders  who 
will  sell  such  as  are  slightly  off  color,  or  have  some 
slight  defect  in  comb  or  in  other  minor  points  that  do 
not  affect  their  value  as  a  farmer's  fowl. 

In  planning  and  erecting  farm  buildings  too  little 
attention  is  given  to  providing  proper  shelter  for 
poultry.  While  elaborate  and 
costly  structures  are  not  re- 
quired, they  should  be  storm 
proof,  free  from  drafts  in 
cold  weather,  have  ample 
ground-floor  space,  and  be 
convenient  for  the  attendant. 

The  last  point  should  not  be  overlooked,  since  a  very 
little  saving  of  time  and  labor  each  day  of  the  three 
hundred  and  sixty-five,  amounts  to  a  considerable  sav- 
ing in  the  year,  and  this  may  be  accomplished  by  a 
small  additional  outlay  at  the  start. 

The  style,  size  and  cost  must  be  determined  by  the 
builder's  needs,  taste  and  pocket-book.  There  is  no 
"  best "  house  for  all  situations  and  all  persons.  A  few 
are  given  rather  as  suggestions  than  as  models  to  copy. 

The  style  illustrated  by  Figure  I  is  economical  of 


7o 


BIGGIE   POULTRY   BOOK. 


lumber,  as  it  consists  chiefly  of  roof.  It  will  be  an 
advantage,  especially  on  low  ground  or  clayey  soil,  to 
have  the  floor  filled  in  six  or  eight  inches  deep  with 
cinders  or  broken  stone  and  covered  with  gravel 
or  sand.  The  ventilator  is  for  summer  use  alone  and 
should  be  tightly  closed  in  winter.  The  cut  repre- 
sents a  house  twelve  by  sixteen  feet,  set  on  a  wall  two 
feet  high,  the  point  of  the  roof  being  eight  feet  above 
the  floor. 

Figure  2  exhibits  a  good  type  of  house  for  general 
use.  As  will  appear  from  the  illustration  it  has  two 
enclosed  apartments  with  an  open  shed  in  the  center. 
Both  the  apartments 
being  raised  thirty  in- 
ches from  the  ground 
the  whole  floor  space 
is  available  as  a  scratch- 
ing-room.  The  house 
is  twelve  by  twenty-  FlG-  2- 

four  feet,  the  shed  and  end  parts  being  eight  by  twelve 
feet  each.  One  end  is  the  roos ting-room,  and  the 
other  the  laying  and  hatching-room.  The  fowls  reach 
these  rooms  when  the  doors  are  shut  by  means  of  cleated 
boards  extending  from  the  ground  to  an  opening  in  the 
floor.  A  passageway  from  one  to  the  other 
eighteen  inches  wide  and  enclosed  by 
wire  netting  is  shown  in  the  cut  along 
the  rear  wall  of  the  shed.  Figure  3  shows 
the  plan  of  this  house. 

A  serviceable  and  good  all-around  house  is  shown 
at  Figure  4.  A  good  width  for  a  building  of  this 
character  is  eighteen  feet,  this  allowing  three  feet  for 


THE  FARMER'S  FI^OCK. 


FIG.  4. 


the  hall  or  passageway  in 
the  rear,  nine  feet  for  the 
main  house  and  six  feet  for 
the  scratching-room  or  shed. 

Figure  5  shows  how  this 
house  may  be  divided  for 
two  flocks.  The  nests  are  accessible  from  the  hall. 
It  is  always  convenient  to  have  a  yard  of  generous 
dimensions,  securely  enclosed,  in  which  it  is  possible 
to  confine  the  flock  while  crops  are  young,  or  when- 
ever desirable  to  do  so.  This  yard  should 
be  large  enough  to  plow  with  a  horse  and 
be  planted  with  plum  or  peach  trees,  and 
grape  vines  to  afford  shade  in  hot  weather, 
and  for  growing  fruit. 

The  matter  of  fencing  the  poultry  yard  may  be 
left  in  the  hands  of  the  owner,  with  the  suggestion 
that  it  is  cheapest  in  the  end  to  build  a  substantial 
fence  at  the  start.  The  cheapest  temporary  and  mov- 
able fence  that  can  be  erected  is  one  of  wire  netting. 
This  should  have  posts  every  eight  feet,  a  board  at  the 
bottom,  but  no  rail  or  board  at  the  top.  The  posts 
need  not  be  heavy. 

The  farmer's  flock  should  have  as  careful  feeding 
and  attention  as  any  other  stock  on  the  farm.  To  in- 
sure such  attention  some  one  member  of  the  family 
should  take  the  matter  in  hand  and  make  it  his  or  her 
business.  Regularity  in  feeding  is  essential  to  the 
best  results.  Economical  feeding  means  that  all  the 
wastes  of  the  family  table,  the  dairy,  the  garden  and 
the  field  should  be  turned  into  eggs  and  poultry  meat. 


72  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY    BOOK. 

NEST  NOTES. 

Use  small  hens  to  hatch  thin-shelled  eggs. 

The  best  feed  for  sitting  hens  is  corn.  They 
should  have  clean  water  and  gravel  and  access  to 
dry  earth.  They  need  little  else. 

If  the  hen  deserts  the  nest  for  a  few  hours  and 
allows  the  eggs  to  become  chilled,  do  not  throw  the  A 

trggs  away.    L,et  them  have  another  trial ;  they  will     HANGING 
stand  exposure  for  a  long  while  and  yet  hatch  well.        NEST. 

Whatever  else  you  do,  don't  follow  the  stereotyped  advice 
in  poultry  books  and  papers  to  make  the  nests  of  sitting  hens 
on  the  ground — not,  at  least,  before  June. 

In  April  showers  look  after  the  young  broods.  A  "  saturated 
solution  "  of  chicken  is  N.  G.,  except  for  soup. 

Boil  beef  or  pork  cracklings  with  small  potatoes,  add  corn 
meal,  mash  all  together  and  make  a  dish  fit  for  the  chickens  of 
a  king. 

The  most  acceptable  lays  of  spring  are  furnished  by  the  hens. 

It  is  bad  policy  to  keep  the  big,  slow-motioned  fowls  and  the 
small,  nervous,  quick-motioned  breeds  together  in  one  flock. 
They  require  different  feeding  and  treatment ;  they  do  not  nar- 
monize. 

A  hen's  teeth  are  in  her  gizzard.  Sand,  gravel  and  like  sub- 
stances are  the  teeth.  Keep  them  sharp. 

A  state  of  fear  and  excitement  is  unfavorable  to  egg  produc- 
tion. Every  movement  among  a  flock  of  hens  should  be  gentle. 

The  wide-awake  poultry  keeper  is  up  and  around  among  his 
flocks  early  in  the  morning  and  late  in  the  evening. 

Drinking  water  in  cold  weather  should  be  neither  hot  nor 
ice-cold,  but  simply  cool,  and  always  clear  and  fresh. 


A   GENERAL-PURPOSE   HEN. 


CHAPTER  X. 
THE  VILLAGE  HENNERY. 

In  cold  weather  keep  your  eyes  open  and  the  cracks  in  the 
hen  house  closed. — Harriet. 

The  ken  turns  grass  into  greenbacks, grain  into  gold,  and 
even  coins  silver  out  of  sand. 

Persons  living  in  towns  and  villages  may  often- 
times find  pleasure  and  profit  in  keeping  a  small 
flock  of  poultry.  The  mistake  most  frequently  made 
by  those  who  undertake  to  do  so  is  in  attempting  to 
keep  too  many.  When  confined  in  small  yards  they 
become  unhealthy  and  unproductive  ;  if  permitted  to 
roam  they  become  a  nuisance  in  the  neighborhood 
and  a  prolific  source  of  unneighborly  feeling  and 
of  disputes  which  ouly  a  justice  of  the  peace  can 
settle. 

To  maintain  a  peaceful  mind  and  a  quiet  com- 
munity attention  should  be  paid  to  the  variety  of 
fowls  kept,  and  to  the  yard  fences.  The  Asiatic 
breeds  are  particularly  fitted  by  their  quiet  nature  and 
indisposition  to  rove  for  stocking  a  village  hennery. 
They  not  only  thrive  better  in  close  confinement  than 
the  smaller  and  more  active  breeds,  but  are  more 
easily  confined.  A  fence  four  feet  high  will  restrain 
them.  If  the  fence  be  made  of  wire  netting,  a  six- 
inch  fence  slat  at  the  bottom  and  three  feet  of  netting 
above  it  will  be  sufficient.  Temporary  runs  can  be 
made  for  them  in  the  garden  or  anywhere,  by  driving 
down  stakes  and  attaching  yard-wide  netting. 


76  BIGGIE  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

The  tendency  of  these  fowls  is  to  lay  on  too  much 
fat,  but  this  can  be  regulated  by  feeding  but  little 
grain  or  other  fattening  foods,  and  compelling  them 
to  exercise  by  scratching  in  leaves,  chaff  or  soil. 
The  bane  of  small  flocks  is  overfeeding  and  this  must 
be  avoided  to  get  the  best  results  from  Asiatics.  All 
scraps  from  the  table  that  commonly  go  to  prowling 
dogs  and  cats  should  be  fed  to  the  chickens.  Milk  or 
other  liquid  wastes  may  be  mixed  with  bran.  They 
should  have  a  liberal  supply  of  grass  from  the  lawn, 
and  waste  green  vegetables  from  the  garden,  and  only 
a  small  ration  of  grain.  Thus  fed  they  will  lay  and  will 
not  grow  fat.  Lawn  clippings,  dried  in  the  shade  and 
stored  in  bags  make  the  choicest  of  winter  greens  for 
a  village  flock,  or  indeed  for  any  fowls. 

Those  who  prefer  the  smaller  and  more  active 
breeds  must  provide  higher  fences,  or  where  the  runs 
are  small,  make  the  fences  low  and  cover  the  entire 
top  with  netting.  Sometimes  in  towns  where  the 

houses  are  crowded  close 
together  it  is  difficult  to 
get  sufficient  sunlight 
and  air  in  the  poultry 
JL-  yard  to  render  the  quar- 
ters  dry  and  healthful. 
In  such  cases  high  picket 
fences  make  the  diffi- 
culty still  worse,  and  wire  netting  is  much  to  be  pre- 
ferred both  for  utility  and  appearance. 

While  an  expensive  house  is  not  a  necessity  in  a 
town,  it  need  not  be  rude  and  unsightly.  Some  simple 
ornamentation  is  within  the  reach  of  nearly  every 


THE  VII^AGE  HENNERY. 


77 


one,  and  if  it  could  be  more  generally  applied  would 
greatly  add  to  the  attractiveness  of  a  rear  view  of  a 
village  street.  The  house  on  page  76  may  be  called 
the  Farm  Journal  village  poultry  house.  It  repre- 
sents a  structure  ten  by  twenty  feet,  with  eight  feet  of 
the  length  enclosed  and  twelve  feet  left  open  for  a 
shed.  The  interior  arrangements  as  well  as  the  size 
and  exterior  ornamentation  may  be  left  to  the  needs 
and  fancy  of  the  owner. 

Another  building  well 
adapted  for  a  small  flock  is 
shown  by  Figure  I.  This 
house  is  ten  by  fifteen  feet, 
five  feet  high  in  the  rear  and 
seven  feet  in  front,  with  a  hood  or  overshoot.  The 
roosting-room  occupies  five  feet  of  the  length  and  is 
elevated  two  feet  from  the  floor.  A  board  along 
the  front  keeps  in  any  litter  that  may  be  thrown  into 
the  shed.  Such  a  house  permits  the  flock 
to  live  out  of  doors  and  to  enjoy  plenty  of 
air  at  all  times.  During  stormy  weather 

they  may  be   confined  to  the  house  by    FIG"  2! 

covering  the  front  with  a  screen  of  wire  netting.  The 
plan  of  this  house  is  shown  in  Figure  2. 

A  flock  of  Bantams  will  be  found  useful  where 
room  is  limited.  Although  their  eggs  are  small,  they 
are  prolific  layers.  The  birds  themselves  being  small 
do  little  injury  to  lawns  or  gardens  when  at  liberty, 
while  they  destroy  many  harmful 
insects. 

The  small,  portable  house  and 
run  here    illustrated    is    admirably     BANTAM  HOUSE. 


78  BIGGIE   POULTRY   BOOK. 

adapted  to  accommodate  a  flock  of  these  littl? 
beauties.  The  netting  door  is  divided  so  that  the  top 
of  it  may  be  opened  by  the  attendant  and  feed  and 
water  put  in  the  run,  without  entering  or  letting  the 
chicks  out.  The  whole  structure  should  be  made  of 
light  material  and  of  a  size  to  render  it  easily  mov- 
able by  two  persons  of  ordinary  strength. 

As  the  purpose  of  keeping  poultry  by  the  average 
villager  is  to  supply  his  own  table  with  eggs  and 
poultry  but  few  chicks  should  be  hatched.  These 
should  be  kept  separated  as  much  as  possible  from 
the  flock  of  fowls  ;  colonized,  if  possible,  in  a  differ- 
ent quarter  until  ready  for  the  table  or  to  take  the 
place  of  the  laying  stock  in  the  common  runs. 

When  no  hatching  eggs  are  required  no  males 
should  be  kept  in  the  flock.  They  are  useless  board- 
ers and  will  soon  *  *  eat  their  heads  off, ' '  and  should 
themselves  first  be  eaten. 


The  rocster,  speaking  botanically,  is  the  crow-cuss  of  the 
poultry  yard. 

Dump  old  mortar  and  broken  plaster  in  the  poultry  yard. 
Damaged  grain  may  be  used    if  scorched  slightly   before 
feeding. 

Puny,  sickly  birds  are  only  profitable  for  fertilizing  trees 
and  vines. 

Pull  out  the  feathers  in  one  wing  to  prevent  flying. 

A  good  cat  and  vermin-proof 
coop  for  the  village  hennery  is 
often  necessary.  A  simple  one  is 
shown  herewith. 

As  an  egg  persuader,  try  equal 
1  parts  of  bran,  corn  meal  and  ground 
oats,  mixed  with  one-eighth  part  of  linseed  meal  ;  that  is,  four 
quarts  of  the  linseed  meal  to  one  bushel  of  the  grain  mixture. 
If  snow  that  falls  on  the  roof  is  likely  to  melt  and  drip 
through,  shovel  it  off.  A  shower  bath  of  snow-water  means 
Toup  and  death  later  on. 


CHAPTER  XI. 
BREEDS  OF  CHICKENS. 


Don 't  estimate  the  size  of  the  egg  from  the  length  of  the  cackle 
Fine  birds  are  not  made  by  fine  feathers. — Harriet. 

The  American  Poultry  Association 
publish  a  book  called  the  "  American 
Standard  of  Perfection,"  that  contains  a 
description  of  all  kinds  of  fowls  the 
Association  thinks  worthy  of  recogni- 
tion as  pure-bred  poultry.  The  descriptions  of  this 
book  are  of  ideally  perfect  specimens  of  the  kind,  and 
are  intended  to  set  up  a  model  for  breeders  to  follow. 

A  scale  of 
points  is  given 
by  which  fowls 
are  compared 
with  one  anoth- 
er and  by  which 
they  are judged 
and  rated  when 
on  exhibition. 
Certain disqual-  | 
ifying  marks 
are  also  men-  WHITE  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS. 

tioued  that  exclude  all  specimens  having  them  from 
competing  at  exhibitions. 

This    "  Standard  of  Perfection  "  is,  in   fact,  the 


82  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

fancier's   text  -  book.      Thoroughbred    chickens    are 
divided  into  ten  general  classes. 

The  first  is  the  American  class.  This  includes 
five  breeds :  Plymouth  Rock,  of  which  there  are 
four  varieties  —  the  Barred,  Buff,  Pea -Comb,  and 
White  ;  Wyandottes,  of  which  there  are  five  varieties 
— Silver -Laced,  Golden,  White,  Buff  and  Black; 
Javas,  in  three  varieties — Black,  Mottled  and  White  ; 
American  Dominiques  and  Rhode  Island  Reds. 

Of  this  class,  Plymouth  Rocks  and  Wyandottes 
are  the  most  numerous  and  widely  known. 

The  characteristic  shape  and  appearance  of  the 
Single-Comb  Barred  Plymouth  Rock  is  well  exhib- 
ited in  colored  Plate  I.  The  color  of  the  plumage 
is  a  grayish- white,  each  feather  crossed  with  bars  of 
blue-black.  The  color  is  the  same  as  that  of  the 
Dominique.  They  are  a  general-purpose  chicken, 

i  are    superior 
|  layers     and 
make  shapely 
dressed  poul- 
try.    Being 
well    adapted 
to   farm   con- 
ditions they 
have     long 
|  been  popular 
WHITE  WYANDOTTES.  as  the  ''farm- 

er's fowl."    A  full-grown  cock  should  weigh  nine  and 
one-half  pounds,  and  a  hen  two  pounds  less.   The  other 
varieties  of  the  breed  differ  only  in  comb  or  plumage. 
Wyandottes,  a  breed  of  more  recent  origin,  have 


BREEDS   OF   CHICKENS.  83 

also  a  reputation  for  general  usefulness.  The  Silver- 
lyaced  are  shown  in  colored  Plate  II.  As  will  be 
seen  they  are  compactly  built  and  make  a  fine  ap- 
pearance as  dressed  poultry,  at  whatever  age  they 
may  be  killed  for  market.  A  mature  male  should 
weigh  eight  and  one-half  pounds,  and  a  hen  two 
pounds  less. 

Javas  and  Rhode  Island  Reds 
have  some  peculiarities  of  their 
own,  but  are  similar  in  size  and 
other  respects  to  Plymouth  Rocks. 

Dominiques  have  rose  combs, 
a   neat,   trim   shape  and    a    gray, 
hawk-colored    plumage.      In    size 
they   rank   with    the  Wyandottes. 
They    are    the    oldest    American  BLACK  JAVA  PULLET. 
breed  and  it  was  from  a  cross  of  these,  with  a  larger 
breed,  that  the  Plymouth  Rocks  originated. 

The  second  general  division  is  the  Asiatic  class, 
which  includes  Brahmas,  Light  and  Dark  ;  Cochins — 
Buff,  Partridge,  White  and  Black  ;  Langshans — Black 
and  White. 

L/ight  Brahmas,  illustrated  in  colored  Plate  III, 
are  the  largest  of  all  the  breeds.  They  are  a  modifi- 
cation, by  careful  breeding  for  many  years,  of  the  old 
Brahma  Pootras.  As  now  bred  they  are  a  noble  and 
attractive  fowl  and  have  also  great  practical  merit. 
As  layers  they  equal,  if  they  do  not  surpass,  any  large 
fowls.  For  making  heavy  broilers  at  eight  and  ten 
weeks  of  age  they  are  among  the  very  best.  After 
they  are  three  months  old  they  do  not  make  first-class 
dressed  poultry  until  well  matured,  on  account  of 


&4  BIGGIE   POULTRY   BOOK. 

their  rapid  growth  and  bony  frame.  The  standard 
weights  for  matured  birds  are  twelve  pounds  for  cocks 
and  nine  and  one-half  pounds  for  hens,  but  they 
frequently  exceed  these  figures. 

Dark  Brahmas  are  shown  in  colored  Plate  IV. 
These  are  usually  a  pound  lighter  in  weight  than  the 
Light  Brahmas,  and  while  they  have  the  Brahma 
carriage,  their  shape  resembles  their  Cochin  cousins, 
thus  betraying  their  probable  origin  in  a  Light  Brahma- 
Cochin  cross.  There  is  a  marked  difference  in  the 
plumage  of  the  male  and  female.  When  carefully 
bred  to  feather  a  flock  of  Dark  Brahmas  presents  a 
very  attractive  appearance.  They  have  for  many 
years  been  highly  prized  for  market  purposes,  espe- 
cially by  those  who  grow  capons. 

Buff  Cochins,  colored  Plate  V,  are  the  old  yel- 
low Shanghais  with  their  stilted  legs  and  long  necks 
reduced  by  careful  breeding.  The  illustration  is 
a  faithful  likeness  of  well-bred  Buffs  of  the  present- 
day  type.  They  have  no  more  neck  or  length  of  leg 
than  seems  absolutely  necessary,  their  bodies  are 
blocky  and  covered  with  an  abundance  of  soft,  fluffy 
plumage  of  a  creamy,  golden  hue.  Their  plump  form 
and  yellow  skin  make  them  popular  with  market 
poultrymen.  In  disposition  they  are  gentle,  quiet, 
even  lazy,  and  are  easily  restrained.  They  are  only 
fairly  good  layers,  but  are  persistent  sitters  and  good 
mothers.  Since  their  introduction  into  this  country 
Buff  Cochins  have  probably  been  used  for  crossing 
upon  the  common  stock  of  farmers  to  a  greater  extent 
than  any  other  single  breed.  The  standard  weight  of 
mature  birds  of  the  breed  is,  for  cocks,  eleven  pounds ; 
and  for  hens,  eight  and  one-half  pounds. 


BREEDS    OF    CHICKENS.  85 

The  other  varieties  of  Cochins  differ  only  in  color. 
The  Partridge  Cochins  are  admirably  represented  by 
colored  Plate  VI,  a  reproduction  from  life  of  supe- 
rior specimens  of  the  variety.  The  plumage  is  very 
beautiful,  being  like  that  of  the  famous  Black-Breasted 
Red  Game,  and  suggests  an  origin  in  a  cross  of  Game 
and  Cochin. 

Langshans  are  the  latest  accession  to  the  Asiatic 
class,  having  reached  us  by  way  of  England.  As  will 
be  seen  by  referring  to  colored  Plate  VII,  they  have 
a  shape  and  carriage  peculiar  to  themselves.  Their 
plumage  is  abundant  but  not  so  fluffy  as  that  of  the 
Brahmas  and  Cochins.  The  plumage  of  the  Blacks 
is  a  glossy  black,  showing  a  beautiful  greenish  metallic 
sheen  when  viewed  in  a  good  light.  Langshans  are 
considered  to  be  the  best  layers  of  their  class  ;  although 
their  skin  is  white  they  are  a  good  market  fowl  and 
their  meat  of  superior  quality. 

The  third  class  is  the  Mediterranean.  This  em- 
braces Leghorns  of  which  there  are  eight  varieties — 
Brown,  Rose-Comb  Brown, 
White,  Rose-Comb  White, 
Black,  Dominique,  Buff, 
and  Silver  Duck-Wing  ; 
Minorcas— Black  and 
White  ;  Andalusians  and 
White-Faced  Black  Span- 
ish. 

Of  these,   the   Leg- 
horns are  the  most  widely 
disseminated  and   most 
umerous.      The  Single-  BUFF  LEGHORNS. 


86  BIGGIE   POULTRY   BOOK. 

Comb  Browns  are  well  illustrated  by  colored  Plate 
VIII,  which  exhibits,  also,  the  general  type  of  the 
breed  in  respect  to  shape  and  carriage.  They  are  smaller 
than  any  of  the  American  class,  sprightly,  active, 
light  of  wing,  early  to  mature  and  famous  for  laying 
the  greatest  number  of  eggs  of  any  of  our  domestic 
fowls.  Their  eggs  are  of  medium  size,  but  large  in 
comparison  with  the  hens  that  lay  them. 

The  brooding  propensity  has  been  bred  out  of  the 
whole  class  to  a  great  extent,  and  they  are  commonly 
referred  to  as  non-sitters.  This  is  only  relatively  true, 
for  the  best-bred  hens  among  them  will  occasionally 
become  broody.  It  is,  however,  true  of  all  that  they 

cannot  be  depended 
on  for  hatching  and 
rearing  chicks. 

The  Minorcas 
have  a  general  resem- 
blance to  Leghorns, 
but  have  longer,  deep- 
er and  heavier  bodies. 
The  weight  of  a  full- 
grown  male  should  be 
eight  pounds,  and  that 
BLACK  MINORCAS.  of  a  female  six  and 

one-half  pounds,  which  is  fully  a  pound  heavier  than 
Leghorns  commonly  reach. 

Minorca  hens  are  famous  for  producing  large 
numbers  of  eggs,  and  when  they  have  attained  the 
age  of  two  years  and  over  the  size  of  their  eggs  is 
quite  remarkable. 


BREEDS   OE   CHICKENS.  87 

The  White-Faced  Black 
Spanish  are  a  distinguished 
looking  fowl,  and  may  appro- 
priately be  classed  with  the 
Light  Brahma  as  belonging 
to  the  aristocracy  of  the 
poultry  yard.  While  having 
the  general  characteristics  of 
the  class,  their  white  face, 
black, silky-glossed  plumage, 
a  body  of  peculiar  shape  set 
well  up  on  long,  slender  legs 
gives  them  an  appearance 

.,        ,.     ..         A~  -.       .,  WHITE-FACED  BLACK 

quite  distinct  from  all  others.  SPANISH. 

They  lay  a  large,  creamy  white  egg.  Andalusians 
might  be  called  Blue  Leghorns.  They  are  a  beautiful 
fowl,  but  for  some  reason  are  not  largely  bred. 

A  fourth  class  is  the  Polish,  which  embraces  eight 
varieties,  namely  —  White  -  Crested  Black,  Golden, 
Silver,  White,  Bearded  Golden,  Bearded  Silver, 
Bearded  White  and  Buff-Laced  The  Silver  Polish, 

and  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  the  breed, 
are  seen  in  colored 
Plate  IX.  Both  fowls 
and  eggs  of  this  breed 
are  rather  small  and 
are  mostly  bred  for 
fancy  purposes.  They 
are  prolific  producers 
of  rather  small  eggs, 
WHITE-CRESTED  BLACK  POLISH,  and  very  pretty. 


88  BIGGLK   POULTRY   BOOK. 

| 

The  fifth  class  is  the  Hamburg.  This  includes  the 
Hamburg  breed  with  six  varieties — Golden-Spangled, 
Silver -Spangled,  Golden -Penciled,  Silver -Penciled, 
White  and  Black  ;  Red  Caps  ;  Campines — Silver  and 
Golden.  The  Hamburgs  are  the  principal  breed  and 

the  Golden-Penciled 
are  shown  in  color- 
ed Plate  IX.     Ham- 
burgs,  like  the  Leg- 
•  horns,  are  celebrated 
|  as  egg  producers,  but 
i  their  eggs  are  small, 
I  like  the  fowls.  They 

SILVER-SPANGLED   HAMBURG.  liaV6  been  USed  with 

good  effect  to  cross  with  larger  fowls,  to  increase  their 
laying  quality. 

The  Red  Caps  are  a  larger  type  of  Hamburg  with 
a  very  large  rose  comb.  The  Campines,  a  variety  of 
recent  introduction,  are  similar  in  general  appear- 
ance to  Hamburgs,  but  have  single  combs. 

The  sixth  class  embraces  the  French  breeds: 
Houdans,  Crevecoeurs  and  L,a  Fleche.  The  Houdans 
are  shown  in  colored  Plate  X.  They  are  distin- 
guished by  a  large  crest,  V-shaped  combs  and  plumage 
of  mottled  black  and  white,  the  black  predominating. 
A  full-grown  male  should  weigh  seven  pounds,  and  a 
female  six  pounds.  Houdans  are  good  layers,  have 
compact,  well-proportioned  bodies,  and  are  superior 
table  and  market  fowls.  The  flesh  of  all  the  French 
breeds  is  white,  the  bones  aie  small  and  the  meat 
juicy.  Ivike  the  Dorkings,  they  have  five  toes  on  each 
foot.  The  Crevecoeurs  and  L,a  Fleche  have  black 


BREEDS   OF   CHICKENS-  89 

plumage  and  are  larger  than  the  Houdans.  For  some 
reason  they  have  not  become  popular  in  this  country 
and  are  not  so  well  known  as  the  latter. 

The  seventh  class  is  the  English  breed,  the  Dork- 
iugs,  of  wrhich  there  are  three  varieties — White,  Silver- 
Gray  and  Colored.  Colored  Plate  XI  is  a  good 
representation  of  the  Silver-Grays.  The  Dorkings 
have  a  characteristic  shape  that  is  well  shown  in  the 
cut.  The  body  is  long,  deep  and  full,  neck  and  legs 
short,  and  the  whole  appearance  solid  and  substantial. 
The  standard  weight  of  mature  males  of  the  Silver- 
Gray  variety  is  eight  pounds,  and  of  mature  females 
six  and  one-half  pounds.  Colored  Dorkings  should 
weigh  a  pound  heavier.  These  all  have  white  flesh. 
They  are  good  layers,  but  are  especially  prized 
for  their  market  and  table  qualities.  The  Orping- 
tons, several  varieties  classed  according  to  color  of 
plumage,  have  of  late  years  been  imported  from 
England.  They  are  good  layers  and  good  table 
fowls,  and  in  size  compare  favorably  with  our  Ply- 
mouth Rocks. 

The  eighth  class  comprises — Games,  Game  Ban- 
tams,, Cornish  Indian  Games  and  Malays.  There  are 
eight  varieties  of  Games  and  a  corresponding  number 
of  Game  Bantams.  The  typical  Game  shape  is  well 
exhibited  in  the  Black-Breasted  Red  Game  Bantam 
in  colored  Plate  XIII.  They  all  have  single,  erect 
combs  and  wattles,  but  it  is  the  fashion  to  cut  these 
appendages  off.  It  is  this  operation,  called  "dub- 
bing," that  produces  their  fierce  and  war-like  appear- 
ance. Contrary  to  a  common  impression  the  varieties- 
of  Games  named  in  the  "Standard"  are  seldom  ever 


90  BIGGIE   POULTRY   BOOK. 

bred  for  fighting,  but  almost  wholly  for  exhibition  or 
practical  purposes.  Being  a  hardy  race  and  having  a 
good  muscular  development  about  the  breast,  they 
are  used  with  good  effect  to  cross  on  common  stock, 
or  on  other  pure-bred  flocks.  Game  hens  make  the 
best  of  mothers,  and  are  very  courageous  in  defend- 
ing their  broods. 

The  Cornish  Indian  Games  were  some  years  ago 
introduced  into  this  country  from  England,  and  while 
they  at  the  time  gave  promise  of  becoming  a  popular 
market  fowl,  they,  for  some  reason  or  other,  are  not 
much  bred  here  at  the  present  day.  Their  weight  is : 
cock,  nine  pounds  ;  hen,  six  and  a  half  pounds.  See 
Plate  XII. 

The  ninth  class  includes 
all  Bantams  other  than 
Games.  The  breeds  and 
varieties  are  numerous,  but 
we  illustrate  only  a  few 
popular  favorites  in  colored 
Plate  XIII. 

Bantams  are  bred  mostly 
as  pets  for  children,  but  are 
WHITE  COCHIN  BANTAMS,  often  profitably  kept  on  city 
yards  and  village  lots  for  their  eggs  and  meat.  For 
this  service  the  Seabrights  are  an  old  and  popular 
breed.  For  show  purposes  Bantams  are  bred  down  as 
small  as  possible,  matured  male  specimens  weighing 
only  twenty-six  to  thirty  ounces,  and  even  less. 

There  are  other  breeds  having  decided  merit  not 
yet  included  in  the  list  of  fowls  as  given  in  the 
*' Standard."  Among  these  are  the  Sherwoods,  said 


BREEDS   OF  CHICKENS.  91 

to  have  had  their  origin  in  Virginia  from  a  White 
Game-Ivight-Brahma  cross.  They  are  a  large,  white, 
close -feathered  fowl,  combining  the  excellence  of 
both  parents.  Their  characteristic  shape  is  well  ex- 
hibited in  the  illustration  shown  herewith,  made  from 
a  photograph. 


SHERWOODS. 

The  White  Wonders  are  large,  white,  rose-combed 
fowls  with  yellow  beak,  shanks  and  skin,  and  have 
attained  considerable  popularity  for  their  practical 
qualities.  They  have  a  reputation  as  winter  layers. 

The  Argonauts  are  the  result  of  an  attempt  by  a 
noted  New  England  breeder  to  produce  a  fowl  having 
superior  laying  and  table  qualities,  combined  with 
good  shape  and  pleasing  color.  The  outcome  is  a 
chicken  with  pea-comb,  buff  color,  and  shape  sug- 
gestive of  Games,  Plymouth  Rocks  and  Dorkings. 

There  are  also  Rumpless  fowls,  having  no  tails  to 
speak  of;  Frizzles,  with  feathers  turned  back  towards 
the  head  ;  Silkies,  with  feathers  so  fine  as  to  resemble 
animal  fur  ;  and  Creepers,  with  legs  so  short  that  it  i? 


92  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

only    by  courtesy    that   they  may   be   said   to   walk. 
These  are  kept  mostly  as  curiosities. 


The  well-fed  pullet  is  an  early  layer. 

The  swill  barrel  may  become  a  chicken  trap  unless  provided 
with  a  lid. 

The  wagon  house  makes  a  poor  hennery.  The  cow  shed  and 
sheep  pen  are  little  better. 

To  break  up  a  broody  hen,  shut  her  in  the  coop  the  first  night 
you  find  her  on  the  nest.  Tne  longer  she  sits  the  more  "  set "  in 
her  ways  she  becomes. 

Chain  the  dog  ic  the  poultry  yard  at  night.  Prowlers  will 
catch  his  scent  and  keep  away. 

Darkened  nests  will  do  much  toward  preventing  the  egg- 
eating  habit.  Use  plenty  of  China  nest-eggs.  L,et  a  few  lie  on 
the  floor. 

A  good  scarecrow,  scarehawk  and  scarecat  is  a  good  gun  in 
the  hands  of  a  good  marksman. 

Set  the  fodder  cutter  and  crusher  to  cut  fine,  and  run  an  arm- 
ful of  cornstalks  through  it.  Scatter  a  bushel  basketful  every 
day  on  the  floor  of  the  poultry  house. 


GOOD    MORNING  ! 


CHAPTER  XII. 
TURKEYS  AND  GUINEA-FOWLS. 


" 


up  your  dogs  and  plant  turkeys. — Joaquin  Miller. 

This  noble  bird,  next  to  the  chicken 
.^  in  importance  among  the  denizens  of  the 
poultry  yard,  is  a  nati\  e  of  North  America, 
and  is  found  in  a  wild  state  from  Mexico 

to  Canada,  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
>  > 

It  is  supposed  that  the  wild  turkey  of 

Mexico  is  the  parent  stock  from  which 
our  domesticated  bird  is  derived. 

Years  ago  the  farm-yard  flock  was  a  somewhat 
variegated  lot,  but  by  skilful  mating  modern  breeders 
have  fixed  certain  characteristics  of  color  and  size  so. 
that  we  now  have  six  quite  distinct  varieties,  recog- 
nized and  described  in  the  "  Standard  of  Perfection."" 
The  names  of  these,  with  the  standard  weight  of  adult 
birds,  male  and  female,  are  the  Bronze,  thirty-five  and 
twenty  pounds  ;  Narragansett,  thirty-two  and  twenty- 
two  pounds  ;  Buff,  twenty-seven  and  eighteen  pounds  ; 
Slate,  twenty-seven  and  eighteen  pounds  ;  White,, 
twenty-six  and  sixteen  pounds  ;  Black,  twenty-seven 
id  eighteen  pounds. 

The  weights  above  named  are  only  reached,  as  a 
rule,  by  birds  that  are  two  years  old  or  over.  Some- 
times they  are  exceeded  even  by  younger  specimens. 
In  1866,  a  Connecticut  woman  sent  to  President  John- 
sou  a  gobbler,  not  quite  two  years  old,  that  tipped  the 
'earn  at  forty-seven  pounds. 


90  BIGGIE  POULTRY   BOOK. 

Of  the  six  varieties  the  Bronze,  illustrated  in  Plate 
XIV,  is  the  latest  introduction.  This  originated  by 
crossing  the  common  with  the  Northern  wild  turkey. 
In  plumage  the  Bronze  resembles  closely  its  wild 
parent,  but  the  color  is  more  brilliant.  The  lustre  is 
like  burnished  gold  in  the  sunlight,  and  it  is  almost 
an  impossibility  to  properly  reproduce  it  on  paper  or 
canvas. 


WHITE    HOLLAND   TURKEYS. 


The  prevailing  color  of  the  Narragansett  is  a 
mixture  of  black  and  white,  over  which,  in  the  sun- 
light, is  seen  a  beautiful  greenish-bronze  lustre.  The 
plumage  of  the  Slate  turkey  is  a  grayish-blue.  The 
White,  or  White  Holland,  is  pure  white,  except  the 


TURKEYS  AND    GUINEA-FOWLS.  97 

beard  of  the  male,  which  is  deep  black.  The  red 
wattles,  black  tuft  on  the  breast  and  the  snow-white 
plumage  of  the  rest  of  the  bird  make  a  striking  con- 
trast. A  photograph  from  life  of  a  pair  of  these  birds 
is  given  on  the  opposite  page. 

The  breeding  of  turkeys  is  more  difficult  than  the 
breeding  of  chickens,  because  of  the  difference  in  the 
nature  and  habits  of  the  birds.  The  turkey  is  not  as 
thoroughly  domesticated  as  the  chicken,  having  been 
under  the  controlling  influence  of  man  but  a  com- 
paratively short  time  and  still  retaining  many  of  its 
wild  traits.  Their  love  of  freedom,  their  roving  habits 
and  their  shyness  all  indicate  their  recent  introduc- 
tion from  the  forest  to  the  domestic  state. 

Young  turkeys  or  poults,  as  they  are  called,  are 
generally  regarded  as  very  tender  until  they  reach 
the  age  of  ten  or  twelve  weeks.  This  is  partly  due  to 
the  unwise  treatment  of  the  breeding  stock  during 
the  winter  and  early  spring. 

In  the  domestic  state,  turkeys  pass  the  winter 
months  in  comparative  inactivity.  During  this  time 
they  are  fed  principally  on  corn.  When  the  breeding 
season  arrives  they  are  in  prime  condition  for  the 
table — fat  and  glossy,  but  are  lacking  in  the  vigor  so 
essential  for  producing  strong  and  healthy  progeny. 
To  this  state  of  things  may  be  attributed  much  of  the 
weakness  supposed  to  belong  to  them  by  nature. 

As  soon  as  the  surplus  stock  has  all  been  sent  to 
market,  the  birds  intended  for  breeding  should  be  fed 
less  corn  and  more  muscle  and  bone-making  food. 
One-third  of  their  grain  ration  should  consist  of  oats, 
and  one-third  of  wheat,  and  the  other  third  of  corn, 


98  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

or  corn  and  buckwheat.  They  are  fond  of  cabbage, 
apples  or  any  raw  vegetables,  and  breeding  stock 
should  be  well  supplied  with  food  of  this  kind.  As 
the  laying  season  approaches  they  should  have  nitrog- 
enous food  in  the  form  of  ground  raw  meat  and 
bone  or  meat-meal,  the  former  fed  alone  and  the  latter 
mixed  in  a  mash  of  bran  and  corn  meal. 

When  chickens  and  turkeys  run  together  and  are 
fed  together  the  former  will  get  at  least  two  grains 
to  the  latter's  one.  For  this  reason,  for  fattening 
turkeys  as  well  as  for  breeding  stock,  it  is  advisable 
to  have  troughs  so  made  that  the  turkeys  can  feed  at 
pleasure  without  interference 
from  chickens.  The  illustration 
j  represents  a  cheap  and  handy 
TURKEY  TROUGH.  feeder.  It  is  made  of  six-inch 
fence  slats  nailed  together  for  a  trough  and  elevated 
to  such  a  height  that  the  other  poultry  cannot  reach  it. 
The  end  pieces  and  the  lid  are  made  of  a  foot-wide 
board,  the  lid  being  four  or  five  inches  above  the  trough. 
Slats  at  the  bottom  of  end  pieces  give  it  stability. 

For  breeders  it  is  best  to  select  hens  two  or  three 
years  old.  If  hens  of  the  previous  year  are  used  they 
should  be  from  the  early  broods.  An  early-hatched 
yearling  male  should  be  mated  with  old  hens.  When 
yearling  hens  are  selected  it  is  better  to  mate  them 
with  a  two-year  old  gobbler.  Young  and  undersized 
birds  should  in  no  case  be  used.  Large,  heavy  toms 
should  never  be  mated  with  small  hens.  One  male  is 
sufficient  for  five  to  ten  females. 

The  turkey  hen  begins  to  lay  in  March  or  April, 
according  to  season  and  latitude.  Her  marked  traits 


TURKEYS   AND    GUINEA-FOWLS.  99 

at  this  time  are  great  shyness  and  secretiveness.  She 
will  seldom  deposit  her  eggs  in  houses  or  nests  where 
hens  lay,  but  will  choose  rather  a  secluded  fence 
corner  or  a  bush,  or  bunch  of  weeds,  or  briars  at 
some  distance  from  the  premises. 

Before  the  laying  season  begins  the  poultry  keeper 
should  provide  the  hens  with  suitable  nests  not  far 
from  the  buildings.  This  may  be  done  by  setting  a 
few  boards  or  an  old  door  against  a  fence  corner  and 
throwing  a  bunch  of  hay  under  it,  or  by  laying  barrels 
or  boxes  on  the  ground  in  some  secluded  spot  and 
putting  a  little  hay  in  them.  By  a  little  strategy  they 
may  be  induced  to  locate  near  by,  and  thus  save  the 
keeper  much  labor  in  looking  after  them  and  their 
broods. 

As  fast  as  the  eggs  are  laid  they  should  be  removed 
from  the  nest,  placed  in  a  basket  or  box  lined  with 
woolen,  and  turned  every  two  days.  A  nest-egg  should 
always  be  left  in  the  nest.  By  removing  the  eggs  in 
this  manner  the  hens  will  not  become  broody  so  soon 
and  will  lay  a  greater  number.  When  the  hens 
become  broody,  if  there  are  more  eggs  than  they  can 
cover,  set  the  rest  at  the  same  time  under  chicken 
hens,  and  when  they  hatch,  which  will  be  in  thirty  or 
thirty-one  days,  put  all  the  poults  with  the  turkey 
hens  to  brood  and  rear. 

When  the  hens  are  tame  and  can  be  handled  the 
young  birds  may  be  removed  from  the  nest  to  the 
house,  as  they  are  hatched,  until  the  whole  brood  is 
out,  and  then  returned  the  night  before  the  brood  is 
put  into  the  coop. 

During  the  period   of   incubation   the   hen   will 


100  BIGGIE  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

require  nothing  but  corn  and  water  and  freedom  from 
molestation.  While  the  young  are  hatching  feed  and 
drink  should  be  placed  before  her  on  the  nest. 

The  poults  require  nothing  to  eat  for  twenty-four 
hours,  and  need  not  be  fed  until  placed  in  the  coop. 

A  familiar  sight  wherever  turkeys  are  reared  is 
the  coop  and  yard  made  of  foot-wide  boards,  here 
shown.  For  the  first  three  days  the  mother  should 
be  kept  in  the  coop,  but  after  this  may  have  her 
liberty.  She  will  not  go  far  away 
while  her  flock  is  confined.  The 
pen  should  be  located  on  well- 
drained  ground,  where  there  is 
short  and  tender  grass.  In  the  absence  of  grass  in 
the  runs  finely  chopped  onions,  lettuce  or  other 
vegetables  should  be  supplied. 

The  diet  of  poults  need  not  differ  greatly  from 
that  of  chicks.  Hard-boiled  eggs,  so  generally  pre- 
scribed, may  be  safely  left  out  of  their  bill  of  fare. 
Dry  bread  soaked  in  sweet  milk  is  good  for  the  first 
week.  This  may  be  given  three  times  a  day,  and  a 
little  oat  meal,  finely  cracked  wheat  or  corn  be  kept 
where  they  can  peck  at  it  when  so  inclined.  Ten 
young  turkeys  are  killed  by  kindess  in  overfeeding 
for  every  one  injured  by  starvation.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  feed  every  two  hours,  as  it  is  sometimes 
enjoined.  It  is  more  in  accordance  with  nature  to 
furnish  them  with  food  in  such  a  manner  that  they 
cannot  gorge  themselves  quickly,  but  will  be  com- 
pelled to  peck  a  little  at  a  time  and  often.  Wet  and 
sloppy  food  and  fermented  messes  should  be  scrupu- 
lously avoided.  Cottage  cheese,  made  by  scalding 


TURKKYS   AND    GUINEA-FOWLS.  IOI 

clabbered  milk  and  pressing  out  the  whey,  makes  a 
wholesome  side-dish,  and  so  does  a  custard  of  egg 
and  milk  mixed  with  bran  and  corn  meal.  Grit  and 
water  should  be  supplied  from  the  beginning,  as  both 
are  essential  to  health. 

When  the  poults  are  able  to  Hop  out  of  their  board 
pen  they  are  strong  enough  to  follow  their  mother. 
But  as  dampness  is  particularly  injurious  until  they 
are  ten  or  twelve  weeks  old,  they  should  not  be  let  out 
of  the  coop  in  the  morning  until  the  dew  is  off  the 
grass,  and  it  is  always  well  to  get  them  under  shelter 
when  a  shower  comes.  Kternal  vigilance  is  the  price 
of  sound  and  healthy  turkeys  at  this  early  stage  of  their 
existence.  If  overtaken  in  a  storm  it  is  sometimes  nec- 
essary to  bring  the  little  fellows  in  the  house  and  dry 
them  by  the  fire.  As  soon  as  they  feather  out  and 
"  shoot  the  red,"  as  it  is  said  when  the  red  appears  in 
their  faces,  they  take  on  new  vitality  and  can  stand 
more  hardships  than  chicks. 

After  this  time  they  may  be  allowed  to  forage  at 
pleasure.  With  a  suitable  range  they  will  be  able  to 
gather  in  the  fields  and  woods  the  greater  part  of  their 
living.  It  is  always  prudent,  however,  to  feed  them 
twice  a  day,  supplying  them  a  light  meal  in  the  morn- 
ing early  and  giving  them  all  they  will  eat  when  they 
return  at  night.  By  taking  care  to  feed  them  regu- 
larly in  this  manner  they  may  be  trained  to  come 
home  every  evening  instead  of  perching  on  the 
fences  out  in  the  fields,  or  in  the  woods.  But  as 
"  turkeys  will  be  turkeys"  now  and  then,  and  remain 
away  from  the  premises,  they  should  be  hunted  up 
the  very  first  time  their  absence  is  noticed  and  driven 
home  and  fed. 


102  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

If  located  near  neighbors  who  also  have  flocks, 
the  young  poults  should  be  marked  with  marking 
punches  in  the  web  of  the  foot.  If  the  neighbors 
•will  agree  to  have  different  marks  it  will  be  an  easy 
matter,  if  the  birds  get  together,  for  each  one  to  pick 
out  his  own. 

In  the  fall  when  the  harvest  fields  are  gleaned, 
the  grasshopper  crop  gathered  in  and  insects 
become  scarce,  the  birds  are  well-grown  and  lusty. 
The  corn  fields  are  now  their  favorite  haunts  and  they 
are  inclined  to  linger  longer  around 
the  farm  yard,  and  are  eager  for 
anything  in  the  way  of  eatables  their 
owner  has  to  offer. 

Thanksgiving  comes  along  about 
this  time  and  the  first  installment  of 
the  flock  should  be  prepared  for 
market  and  one  of  the  best  of  the 
lot  reserved  for  the  farmer's  own 
table.  The  illustration  represents 
one  of  the  flock  the  day  after  Thanks- 
giving. He  is  laughing  all  over  his 
face  now  ;  perhaps  Christmas  day  he 
\.will  wear  a  different  expression. 

GUINEA-FOWLS. 

The  Guinea  is  closely  related  to  the  turkey  and 
was  originally  brought  from  Guinea,  on  the  West 
African  coast,  where  it  is  still  found  in  a  wild  state. 

Their  peculiar,  cry  when  alarmed  will  scare  hawks 
and  crows  in  the  day-time.  At  night  they  are  light 
sleepers  and  when  aroused  by  thieves  or  other  marau- 


CUINEA-FOWIvS.  103 

ders  their  noise  will  arouse  the  neighborhood.  They 
are  great  rovers  and  foragers,  destroying  many  insects 
and  weed  seed,  but  doing  little  damage  to  crops.  For 
making  a  gamey  pot-pie  no  other  domestic  fowl  equals 
the  guinea.  They  lay  many  small  but  rich  eggs  and 
have  a  habit  of  secreting  their  nests  in  the  fields  and 
along  fences,  seldom  ever  laying  near  the  farm  build- 
ings. In  the  hennery  they  are  pugnacious  and  abusive 
toward  other  fowls,  and  their  unceasing  chatter  is 
annoying  to  some  people.  Their  good  traits  over- 
balance their  bad  ones  and  a  few  should  be  in  every 
farm-yard. 

One  male  is  sufficient  for  a  flock  of  six  to  ten 
females.  It  is  well  to  set  the  eggs  under  a  chicken 
hen.  Reared  in  this  way  they  are  more  domestic. 
They  will  follow  the  mother-hen,  to  her  great  annoy- 


A   FLOCK   OF   PEARL   GUINEAS. 

ance,  until  they  are  full-grown.  The  young  are  quite 
hardy  and  require  no  special  treatment  or  care  differ- 
ent from  chickens  or  turkeys.  The  plumage  of 
the  Pearl  Guinea,  the  most  common  variety,  is  a 
groundwork  of  blue  sprinkled  with  pearl  dots  of 


104  BIGGLK  POULTRY   BOOK. 

white.  The  males  usually  have  some  white  on  their 
breasts,  have  larger  wattles  and  larger  bodies  than 
the  females.  The  Whites  differ  only  in  color,  and 
are  probably  a  sport  of  the  Pearl. 


THE  PEA-FOWL. 

The  most  gorgeous  in  plumage  of  all  our  domestic 
birds  is  a  native  of  Southern  Asia  and  the  Malay 
Archipelago.  They  are  kept  for  ornamental  purposes 
only,  being  of  no  practical  value.  One  pair  is  enough 
for  a  whole  neighborhood,  as  by  their  shrill  cry  at 
night  they  can  awaken  everybody  within  a  radius  of 
half  a  mile.  The  mother-hen  usually  steals  her  nest 
and  brings  up  her  brood  without  any  assistance. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
DUCKS. 

Ducks  and  rats  do  not  thrive  in  the  same  house. — Tim's  Wife. 

A  duck's  appetite  is  as  big  as  the  feed  din.— Tim. 

The  domestic  duck  is  believed 

•Spfc*    to  be  a  descendant  of  the  Wild 

^^•••k.   Mallard,   the   most  common  and 

numerous    of    the    wild    species. 

|ppr  Four  varieties  are  recognized  in 

the  "Standard  of  Perfection"— the 

^-»**mmiif;'  Rouen,    Cayuga,    Aylesbury    and 

Pekin. 

Rouens  are  regarded  as  a  French  breed  and 
appear  to  be  the  Mallard  domesticated  and  enlarged 
by  selection  and  breeding.  The  pair  seen  in  the  fore- 
ground in  colored  Plate  XV,  fairly  represent  the 
shape  and  beautiful  plumage  in  which  this  variety 
is  clothed.  The  standard  weights  of  adult  birds,  male 
and  female,  are  nine  and  eight  pounds  respectively. 
They  are  hardy  and  are  prolific  layers  of  large  green- 
ish eggs. 

The  Cayuga  is  an  American  variety,  jet-black  in 
plumage,  supposed  to  have  originated  near  Lake 
Cayuga,  New  York,  from  a  cross  of  Mallard  and  the 
Wild  Black,  or  Buenos  Ayres  duck.  The  standard 
weights  for  these  are  eight  and  seven  pounds  respec- 
tively. 

The  Aylesbury  is  the  favorite  English  variety. 
The  plumage  is  a  pure  "  dead- white  "  throughout,  the 


io8 


BIGGIE  POULTRY   BOOK. 


beak  a  pale  flesh-color,  and  the  shanks  a  light  orange. 
The  standard  weight  is  the  same  as  for  Rouens. 

Another  duck  sometimes  seen  in  the  farm-yard  is 
the  Muscovy.  This  belongs  to  a  different  genus  from 
the  varieties  already  described,  and  is  a  descendant  of 


A   LONG  ISLAND    DUCK   FARM. 


the  wild  Musk  Duck  of  South  America.  There  are 
two  varieties,  the  colored  and  the  white.  The  latter 
is  shown  in  the  background  in  colored  Plate  XV, 
which  well  illustrates  the  peculiar  shape  and  appear- 
ance of  this  duck,  which  differ  decidedly  from  that  of 


DUCKS.  109 

the  common  varieties.  They  will  breed  with  other 
ducks,  but  the  hybrids  are  mules,  or  sterile.  While  kept 
mostly  as  curiosities,  or  for  ornamental  purposes,  the 
crosses  are  said  to  make  excellent  market  poultry. 

The  Pekin  is  an  Asiatic  variety  having  been  first 
imported  from  Pekin,  China,  in  1873.  The  plumage 
is  white  with  a  creamy-yellow  shading,  the  feathers 
being  downy  and  fluffy  like  Asiatic  chickens.  While 
the  "Standard"  gives  their  weights  as  a  pound  lighter 
than  Rouens  or  Aylesburys,  they  are  commonly 
regarded  as  a  larger  duck  than  either. 

The  introduction  of  the  Pekins  to  this  country 
gave  a  new  impetus  to  duck  breeding,  and  many 
persons  have  entered  into  it  on  an  extensive  scale. 
While  they  are  prolific  layers  of  large  eggs,  mostly 
white-shelled,  they  are  also  the  great  market  duck. 
Their  bills  and  shanks  are  a  deep  orange-yellow  and 
their  skin  also  is  yellow.  As  the  plumage  is  white 
and  the  pinfeathers  leave  no  stain  on  the  flesh,  they 
make  the  finest  dressed  carcass  of  any  variety. 

The  keeping  of  ducks  for  eggs  is  a  profitable  part 
of  the  duck  business,  when  rightly  conducted,  and 
the  keeper  is  within  easy  access  to  a  city  market. 
During  the  early  spring  months  duck  eggs  bring 
higher  prices  than  hen  eggs,  and  it  is  at  this  season 
that  ducks  are  most  prolific.  To  obtain  the  best 
results  from  eggs  the  laying  ducks  should  be  hatched 
the  latter  part  of  the  breeding  season,  in  June  and 
July.  The  spring-hatched  will  grow  larger  and  will 
make  better  breeding  stock,  but  with  proper  care 
these  late  broods  will  lay  as  soon  as  the  severity  of 
winter  is  over,  as  soon,  in  fact,  as  the  early-hatched, 


IIO  BIGGIE  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

and  will  not  require  to  be  fed  during  March,  April  and 
May.  The  proper  feed  for  such  ducks,  to  induce  early 
and  prolific  laying,  is  well  illustrated  by  the  practice 
of  a  successful  breeder  who  commonly  winters  about 
five  hundred.  He  feeds  them  on  equal  parts  of  boiled 
turnips,  wheat,  bran,  and  corn  meal,  with  a  little — say 
ten  per  cent. — of  ground  beef  scraps  thrown  in.  This 
is  mixed  thoroughly  together  while  the  turnips  are  hot, 
and  constitute  the  entire  feed  during  the  winter  and 
spring.  About  the  first  of  January  or  a  little  later, 
when  they  begin  to  lay,  the  proportion  of  bran  and 
meat  scraps  should  be  increased. 

This  mess  is  fed  morning  and  evening,  and  at 
noon  they  have  a  light  meal  of  dry  food  composed  of 
equal  parts  of  cracked  corn,  oats  and  wheat. 

Ducks  kept  expressly  for  market  eggs  require  no 
drakes  with  them,  which  is  one  of  the  points  in  favor 
of  this  part  of  the  business.  As  soon  as  the  price 
drops  and  the  egg  supply  begins  to  run  low  the  layers 
should  be  sent  to  market. 

When  large  numbers  are  kept,  either  for  laying 
or  breeding,  large  houses  properly  constructed  are 
required.  The  character  of  these  houses  will  be  deter- 
mined by  the  climate  and  other  circumstances.  Where 
the  winters  are  mild  and  snow  seldom  tarries  long  on 
the  ground  long  open  sheds  will  suffice;  but  where  the 
winters  are  long  and  severe  and  snow  lingers,  large, 
storm-proof  houses  are  :ieeded.  While  ducks  are 
hardy  and  can  endure  more  cold  and  wet  weather  than 
chickens,  when  early  laying  is  the  object  sought  the 
layers  must  be  shielded  from  the  severity  of  the 
weather.  James  Rankin,  in  his  excellent  treatise  on 


DUCKS.  Ill 

Duck  Culture,  described  the  house  in  which  he  keeps 
his  breeding  ducks  through  the  winter  as  covering 
fifteen  by  two  hundred  feet  floor  space,  having  five-foot 
posts  in  the  rear  and  four-foot  posts  in  front,  and  an 
uneven  double  roof,  the  short  slant  being  in  the  rear. 
There  is  a  walk  through  the  rear,  three  and  one-half 
feet  wide.  The  building  is  divided  every  twenty-four 
feet  into  pens,  in  each  of  which  forty  ducks  are 
wintered.  The  partitions  are  but  two  feet  high.  The 
walk  is  separated  from  the  pens  by  lath  three  inches 
apart,  to  allow  the  birds  to  feed  and  drink  from 
troughs  placed  in  the  walk.  This  arrangement  enables 


ONE   OF  JAMES  RANKIN'S   DUCK   HOUSES. 

an  attendant  to  feed  and  water  the  whole  houseful  in 
a  few  minutes,  a  wheelbarrow  or  truck  being  used  for 
carrying  supplies  ;  it  also  prevents  waste  of  feed  or 
fouling  of  the  feed  or  water.  Only  ten  feet  of  this 
slat  partition  along  the  walk  in  each  pen  is  used  for 
feed,  and  four  feet  is  made  movable  so  that  the  attend- 
ant can  enter  with  barrow  to  clean  out  the  pens.  The 
other  ten  feet  along  the  walk  is  lined  with  the  nests, 
which  are  fifteen  inches  square,  the  back  and  division 
boards  being  a  foot  high  and  the  board  next  to  the 
pen  but  four  inches,  or  just  high  enough  to  keep  the 
nest  material  in.  This  latter  consists  of  cut  straw  or 
hay,  which  is  kept  dry  and  clean,  thus  preventing  the 
eggs  from  becoming  soiled  and  stained.  With  such  a 


112  BIGGIE  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

house  there  should  be  either  joined  or  situated  near- 
by a  feed  and  cook-room  containing  bins,  a  root-cutter 
and  a  capacious  boiler.  The  front  of  the  building  is 
one-third  glass.  From  the  front  the  yards  extend  one 
hundred  feet,  making  each  one  twenty-four  by  one 
hundred  feet.  Experience  has  proved  that  free  range 
and  water  are  not  essential  to  success  in  keeping 
ducks,  especially  Pekin  ducks,  for  laying  or  breeding. 

Ducks  as  a  part  of  the  farm  poultry  should  be 
kept  apart,  as  much  as  possible,  from  the  chickens, 
and  away  from  the  barnyard  and  farm-yard  and  out 
of  sight  of  the  dooryard.  With  the  chickens  they 
foul  the  drinking  water  and  the  food  and  their  feathers 
become  soiled  in  the  hen-house.  In  the  barnyard 
they  are  liable  to  be  trampled  by  the  stock,  and  they 
are  too  filthy  to  be  tolerated  in  the  farm  sheds,  or 
on  the  grass  of  the  lawn.  They  should  have  houses, 
shelters  and  yards  of  their  own  in  all  cases.  These 
need  not  be  expensive.  The  houses  may  be  low,  and 
no  fence  for  Pekin  ducks  need  be  over  two  feet  high. 

An  excellent  shelter  for  a  farm  flock  is  a  shed, 
one-half  of  which  is  open  and  the  other  half  closed. 
The  open  half  should  have  a  movable  slat  fence  or 
gate  for  use  when  it  is  desirable  to  confine  the  flock. 
If  they  have  free  range  it  is  necessary  to  confine  them 
to  a  house  or  yard  for  two  or  three  hours  after  daylight 
during  the  laying  season,  otherwise  they  will  drop 
their  eggs  in  the  fields  and  meadows,  or  along  the 
streams,  and  many  will  be  lost. 

A  convenient  form,  of  duck-house  is  here  shown. 
As  ducks  are  humble-minded  creatures  tney  do  not 
require  a  lofty  building,  and  therefore  one  for  their 


DUCKS.  113 

accommodation  may  consist  principally  of  roof.  It 
is  a  movable  house  six  by  ten  feet,  set  on  plank  run- 
ners fifteen  inches  wide.  This  structure,  set  on  a  well- 
drained  site,  bedded  with  short  hay  or  straw  and 
moved  occasionally,  will  serve  as  headquarters  for  a 
flock  of  ten  to  twenty-five. 

Breeding  ducks  should  be  carefully  selected  for 
their  si/e  and  typical  shape,  and  only  mature  birds 
should  be  used.  An  active  yearling  drake  may  be 
allowed  for  each  five  or  six  ducks. 
As  the  drakes  are  not  so  pugna- 
cious as  cocks,  flocks  may  contain 
several  of  them  without  danger  of 
their  injuring  one  another. 

As  a  general  thing  it  is  better  to  hatch  duck  eggs 
under  b_ns  than  under  ducks.  The  period  of  incuba- 
tion for  duck  eggs  is  twenty-eight  days,  and  the 
temperature  required  is  the  same  as  for  hen  eggs. 
They  have  strong  vitality  and  are  easy  to  hatch  either 
in  the  natural  way  or  artificially. 

Ducklings  when  hatched  are  animated  balls  of 
down,  seldom  quiet  and  never  so  happy  as  when  eat- 
ing or  dabbling  in  water.  They  do  not  require  so- 
much  warmth  from  the  mother  and  do  not  need  to> 
be  hovered  so  much  as  chicks.  Hence,  it  is  safe  to> 
put  thirty  to  forty  with  a  single  hen.  More  also  can 
be  put  in  a  single  flock  in  a  brooder  than  of  chicks. 

While  ducklings  will  take  to  the  water  as  soon  as 
hatched,  they  do  better  if  not  allowed  to  swim  unti! 
they  are  four  weeks  old,  and  should  not  be  allowed  to 
enter  ponds  or  streams  until  they  have  their  first 
feathers.  Thousands  of  ducklings  die  yearly  from 


114  BIGGLOS  POULTRY   BOOK. 

cramps  and  convulsions,  because  they  are  allowed  to 
enter  the  water  too  young  or  too  early  in  the  season 
while  the  wrater  is  cold.  Cold  spring  water  even  in 
summer  is  fatal  to  them. 

For  the  first  ten  days  ducklings,  with  hens,  do  best 
in  small  yards,  like  those  described  for  confining  young 
turkeys.  The  coop  should  have  a  board  bottom,  to 
prevent  the  hen  mother  from  scratching  earth  over 
her  downy  brood.  All  the  water  they  need  is  enough 
to  drink  and  to  dip  their  heads  into,  to  wash  out  their 
nostrils  and  eyes.  It  is  difficult  for  a  duck  to  eat 

|  without  the  fre- 
quent  use  of 
water.  A  duck- 
ling will  drink 
about  one  hun- 
dred times,  more 
or  less,  while 
eating  a  single 
meal.  The  water 

AN  UNNATURAL   FAMILY.  VCSSclS,   th.6re- 

fore,  should  be  close  to  the  feeding  trough,  but  so 
arranged  that  they  cannot  get  in  them  with  their  feet 
or  dip  their  heads  in  deep  enough  to  throw  water  over 
their  backs. 

Healthy  ducklings  have  a  voracious  appetite  and 
will  eat  whatever  is  set  before  them.  Dry  bread  soaked 
in  milk  is  excellent  food  for  the  first  two  days.  In 
passing  it  may  be  said  that  it  is  not  advisable  to  give 
ducklings  milk  to  drink  ;  it  should  always  be  used  for 
mixing  their  feed.  They  will  get  it  on  their  down 
and  in  their  eyes,  and  thus  not  only  spoil  their  good 


DUCKS.  115 

looks  but  injure  their  health.  After  the  first  few 
meals  of  bread  and  milk,  equal  parts  of  corn  meal 
and  wheat  bran,  wet  with  milk  or  water,  may  be  fed. 
A  little  fine-ground  meat  scraps,  or  meat-meal,  should 
be  added.  After  ten  days  every  other  meal  may  con- 
sist of  cracked  corn  and  wheat.  Care  should  be  taken 
to  have  all  their  food  crumbly  rather  than  doughy  or 
sticky.  At  first  they  should  be  fed  every  two  hours, 
but  at  the  end  of  a  week  they  can  get  along  with  four 
meals  a  day.  Like  all  other  birds  they  need  grit  as 
soon  as  hatched.  To  supply  this  at  first  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  sprinkle  a  little  coarse  sand  on  the  feeding 
board  or  in  their  feeding  trough.  When  a  little  older 
put  the  grit  in  the  bottom  of  the  drinking  vessel. 

The  yard  in  which  the  ducklings  are  placed  should 
contain  short  grass,  but  if  it  does  not,  green  food  in 
some  form  must  be  supplied  regularly  and  bountifully. 
Lettuce,  beet  tops,  cabbage,  green  clover,  or  green 
corn  cut  fine,  will  be  greedily  devoured. 

While  they  are  hearty  eaters  they  are,  for  this 
reason,  rapid  growers  and  will  increase  in  weight 
about  twice  as  fast  as  chickens.  They  are  usually 
slaughtered  when  from  seven  to  ten  weeks  old. 

In  warm  weather  it  is  important  to  have  some 
shelters  for  ducks  and  ducklings  confined  in  yards.  If 
the  latter  contain  no  trees,  vines  or  bushes,  temporary 
shelter  of  boards,  brush  or  canvas  must  be  provided. 

Temporary  yards  may  be  made  for  ducklings  by 
the  use  of  wire  netting  two  feet  wide,  stapled  loosely 
to  stakes  driven  into  the  ground.  Such  a  fence  is 
easily  moved  by  pulling  up  the  stakes  with  the  wire 
on  them  and  rolling  all  up  together. 


Il6  BIGGIE  POULTRY   BOOK. 

The  Swan  (Cygnus),  first  cousin  of  the  duck  and 
the  goose,  is  frequently  referred  to  as  the  type  of  grace- 
ful beauty  in  outline  and  motion.  There  are  numer- 
ous varieties,  nearly  all  of  them  found  in  a  wild  state. 
Formerly  the  bird  was  served  at  feasts  on  special 
occasions,  but  it  is  now  kept  in  private  and  public 
parks  solely  for  ornamental  purposes. 


DUCK   NOTES. 

Quack  !    Quack  ! !    Quack  !  !  ! 

Harvest-hatched  ducks  make  good  spring  layers. 

Ducklinsrs  will  kill  rose-bugs,  and  rose-bugs  in  large  doses 
will  kill  ducklings. 

Ducks  being  water-fowl  are  warm-blooded  and  like  water, 
but  appreciate  a  dry  floor  to  roost  on.  Having  a  water-tight 
roof  the  floor  can  be  kept  in  proper  order  with  cut  straw  or 
leaves  and  dry  earth.  The  litter  should  be  short. 

The  sex  of  ducks  can  easily  be  distinguished  by  the  quack. 
The  voice  of  the  male  is  pitched  in  a  high  key  and  that  of  the 
female  in  a  low  key ;  the  male  has  a  larger  head  and  thicker 
neck  and  when  in  full  feather  one  of  the  tail  feathers  is  curled 
backward. 

White  clover  sod  does  not  make  a  good  pasture  for  duck- 
lings. Bees  like  white  clover  as  well  as  ducklings,  and  conse- 
quently the  three  get  badly  mixed  up.  The  bee  stings  as  he 
goes  down  the  duckling's  throat  on  a  clover  head,  and  the  career 
of  the  bee  and  duckling  both  come  to  a  sudden  termination. 


SINGLK   FILE. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
GEESE. 

It  is  a  silly  goose  that  comes  io  a  fox's  sermon. 
The  goose  that  has  a  good  gander  cackles  loudly. 

—Danish  Proverb. 

Farmers  who  have 
|l  rough,  marshy  land,  may 
with  little  extra  expense  and 
labor  add  to  their  incomes 
by  stocking  it  with  geese. 
Our  domestic  goose  has 
descended,  it  is  said,  from 
the  wild  greylag  goose  of  Northern  Europe.  The 
common  gray  and  white  geese  of  the  American  farm- 
yard need  no  description,  since  they  are  well  known 
everywhere.  The  Toulouse,  a  large,  gray  variety,  has 
come  to  us  by  way  of  England.  Their  shape  and  color 
are  seen  in  the  foreground  of  colored  Plate  XVI.  The 
difference  of  the  sexes  may  be  plainly  seen  by  observ- 
ing the  head  and  neck  of  each  bird.  The  gander  has 
a  larger  head  and  thicker  neck  than  the  goose.  But 
it  will  be  noted  that  the  abdomen  of  the  latter  is 
heavier  and  closer  to  the  ground.  The  standard 
weight  for  adult  Toulouse  is  forty  pounds  per  pair. 
They  sometimes  attain  greater  weights  than  this,  but 
not  until  three  or  more  years  of  age. 

There  is  a  large,  white,  pure-bred  variety  called  the 
Embden  or  Bremen,  so  named  from  two  towns  in 
Hanover,  in  northeastern  Germany,  where  they  are 


120  BIGGJVE  POULTRY   BOOK. 

supposed  to  have  originated.  The  Bmbden  has  pure 
white  plumage,  prominent  blue  eyes,  a  flesh-colored 
bill  and  bright  orange  legs.  The  weight  is  about  the 
same  as  that  of  the  Toulouse. 

Chinese  geese,  or  swan  geese,  belong  to  another 
species,  and  are  at  once  recognized  by  a  peculiar 
knob  or  protuberance  at  the  base  of  their  bills  and 
by  their  long,  swan-like  necks.  There  are  two  varie- 
ties, the  White  and  the  Brown.  The  latter  is  shown 
in  the  background  of  colored  Plate  XVI.  The  stand- 
ard weight  of  these  is  twenty-eight  pounds  per  pair. 
African  Geese,  recognized  in  the  "Standard,"  belong 
to  the  same  species  and  are  similar  to  the  Brown 
China,  but  heavier. 

The  American  wild,  or  Canada  goose,  belongs  to 
a  different  species  from  either  of  the  above,  and  will 
not  produce  a  fertile  cross.  It  has  never  become 
thoroughly  domesticated  and  does  not  breed  readily 
in  confinement. 

Geese  are  long-lived,  and  the  females  may  be 
kept  for  eight  or  ten  years,  but  the  ganders  become 
pugnacious  and  less  virile  after  they  are  three  years 
old.  It  is  best,  therefore,  to  mate  old  geese  with 
young  ganders,  allowing  one  male  to  two  or  three 
females.  The  geese  agree  better  if  selected  from  the 
same  flock.  To  avoid  in-breeding,  select  the  male 
from  a  different  flock.  Geese  incline  to  go  in  families 
and  are  very  jealous  of  their  mates.  For  this  reason, 
when  there  is  more  than  one  flock  or  family,  it  is 
prudent  to  have  separate  sheds  for  each  one,  and  if 
possible,  separate  runs. 

In  northern  latitudes  it  is  not  well  to  feed  breed- 


GEESE.  121 

ing  geese  too  generously  in  the  winter  and  start  them 
to  laying  early.  Goslings  and  green  grass  should 
appear  about  the  same  time.  But  conditions  being 
right,  the  earlier  goslings  hatch  the  better.  About 
the  first  of  February  in  the  Middle  States  the  forcing 
may  begin,  the  breeders  being  fed  in  a  manner 
similar  to  that  recommended  for  breeding  ducks. 
During  the  winter  cut  hay,  ensilage  and  a  little  corn 
with  refuse  vegetables  will  sustain  them,  but  now 
they  should  have  nitrogenous  food,  like  bran,  shorts 
and  meat  scraps  fed  with  cooked  vegetables. 

The  goose  will  lay  two  litters  of  twelve  to  fifteen 
eggs  each.  If  well  fed  this  number  maybe  increased. 
The  China  goose  is  said  to  sometimes  lay  from  fifty 
to  sixty  in  a  season.  To  get  the  eggs  all  hatched  as 
soon  as  possible  the  first  laid  may  be  hatched  under 
hens,  allowing  each  hen  to  incubate  from  five  to 
seven  eggs.  When  the  goose  has  finished  her  first 
laying  and  becomes  broody  she  may  be  confined  for  a 
few  days  and  be  well  fed.  When  her  brooding  fever 
is  over  she  will  lay  again  and  may  be  permitted  to 
hatch  and  take  care  of  the  second  litter. 

The  period  of  incubation  is  the  same  as  that  of 
ducks,  twenty-eight  to  thirty  days. 

Goslings  are  hardy,  but  should,  like  ducklings,  be 
kept  in  a  pen  for  two  or  three  weeks  and  allowed 
only  water  enough  to  drink.  Since  goslings  are 
regarded  as  a  great  delicacy  by  snapping  turtles, 
minks  and  other  varmints,  it  is  well  to  keep  them 
from  infested  ponds  and  guarded  at  night  in  sheds 
enclosed  with  netting.  The  later  hatches,  left  to  run 
ith  the  mother-goose,  will  require  less  attention  and 


122 


BIGGI.K   POULTRY   BOOK. 


care,  but  yet  it  is  advisable  to  confine  the  flock  in  a 
yard  for  a  week  or  ten  days. 

When  the  goslings  are  to  be  sold  in  the  Christmas 
markets,  or  late  in  the  year  for  breeders,  they  will 
not  need  to  be  supplied  with  food  if  they  have  suit- 
able pasture  grounds,  except  a  light  meal  of  grain 
morning  and  night.  It  is  best  to  feed  them  in  this 
manner  to  induce  them  to  return  home  every  night. 

There  is  a  demand  for  "green  goose"  in  mid- 
summer and  many  prepare  their  early  goslings  for 
this  market.  With  this  end  in  view  they  are  fed  all 


EMBDEN  GEESE. 

they  will  eat  until  the  flight-feathers  grow  out  as  far 
as  the  root  of  the  tail,  then  they  are  enclosed  in  a  pen. 
This  must  be  in  a  dry  situation  where  there  is  no 
water  or  mud.  A  yard  fifty  feet  square  with  shade  in 
it  will  hold  seventy-five  goslings.  Treat  them  gently, 
since  they  are  timid  creatures  and  will  not  fatten  if 
roughly  handled  or  frightened.  Have  a  large  boiler 
holding  a  barrel  or  more,  fill  with  water  and  stir  in 


GEESE.  123 

the  boiling  water,  meal  and  twenty-five  pounds  of 
meat  scraps  to  the  barrel.  Mix  till  as  thick  as  can  be 
stirred.  Season  with  a  little  salt.  Feed  all  they  will 
eat  of  this  and  give  only  enough  water  to  drink. 
Furnish  gravel  and  put  in  the  enclosure  some  rotten 
wood.  In  seventeen  to  twenty  days  they  will  be 
ready  to  slaughter.  They  should  be  in  market  before 
the  fourth  of  July. 

One  source  of  profit  from  geese  is  the  feathers, 
which  are  always  in  demand  at  good  prices.  These 
are  obtained  not  only  from  the  slaughtered  birds  but 
also  from  the  live  ones.  When  done  with  discretion  the 
practice  of  plucking  is  not  so  cruel  as  it  might  at  first 
sight  appear.  Four  times  a  year  is  often  enough  to  per- 
form this  operation.  Never  pick  when  laying,  nor  in 
cold  weather,  and  pick  only  when  the  feathers  are 
*  *  ripe. ' '  This  ripeness  is  detected  by  the  experienced 
eye  by  the  dull,  dead  color  of  the  plumage,  and  in 
Pekin  ducks  by  the  absence  of  the  yellowish  tinge.  To 
test  them  pluck  a  few  from  the  breast.  If  they  come 
easy  and  are  dry  at  the  quill  end  they  are  "ripe,"  if  the 
least  bit  moist  or  bloody  do  not  pick  any  more.  In 
picking,  take  only  a  small  pinch  of  feathers  in  the 
fingers  at  a  time,  and  make  a  quick  downward  jerk 
from  tail  to  neck.  Remove  only  a  little  of  the  down. 
Never  remove  from  a  live  bird  the  cushion  or  bolster 
of  coarse  feathers  along  the  side, that  supports  the  wing. 

The  goslings  may  be  picked  as  soon  as  they  are 
full  feathered.  An  experienced  geese  breeder  thus 
describes  his  plan  of  making  the  most  out  of  the 
feather  crop  :  I  like  my  geese  to  hatch  out  about  the 
last  of  April.  At  that  time  I  pick  the  ganders  of  the 


J24  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

flock,  the  geese  having  lined  their  nest  with  feathers 
they  are  not  in  condition  to  be  plucked.  About  the 
first  of  June  the  ganders  are  full  feathered  again  and 
the  geese  are  ready  too,  as  you  will  begin  to  find  loose 
feathers  where  they  stay  over  night.  Then  in  about 
seven  weeks  the  goslings  are  ready  to  be  plucked 
with  the  old  ones.  Don't  take  the  feathers  off  too 
bare,  as  the  sun  is  hot  at  this  season.  By  the  last  of 
September  you  will  get  a  fine  lot  of  good  feathers 
again.  If  you  keep  the  geese  for  the  holiday  market 
they  are  again  ready  in  early  November,  but  if  the 
nights  are  cold  drive  them  up  and  give  shelter.  They 
will  soon  feather  at  this  time  of  year,  and  at  killing 
time  you  will  get  the  finest  crop  of  the  year. 

Fasten  them  up  in  a  stable  having  plenty  of  clean 
straw  under  them  for  half  a  day  before  you  begin  to 
pluck  the  feathers,  then  they  will  be  dry  and  clean. 
Take  a  narrow  strip  of  muslin,  tie  their  feet  together, 
lay  them  on  their  backs,  tuck  their  wings  under 
them,  let  an  assistant  take  hold  of  the  head,  and  as 
soon  as  they  are  done  struggling  begin  to  pluck. 


There  are  no  disease  germs  in  fresh  eggs. 
Poultry  products  sell  for  cash,  and  can  be  sold  at  an}'  time. 
Two  important  points  in  favor  of  the  hen  business. 

In  long  houses,  instead  of  an  entry  and  tramway  for  carry- 


gravel  in.— Tim. 

The  crops  of  fowls  should  be  empty  when  sent  to  market. 
The  best  way  to  secure  this  condition  is  not  to  feed  for  at  least 
twelve  hours  before  killing.  If  for  any  reason  the  crop  be  full 
after  killing,  make  a  cut  two  inches  long  through  the  thick  skin 
on  back  of  the  neck,  insert  the  finger  in  the  incision,  draw  out 
the  crop  and  cut  it  off.  The  mutilation  will  not  be  apparent. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
PIGEONS  FOR  MARKET. 

A  bird  in  the  loft  is  worth  two  in  the  pot-hunter^ 's  bag. 
In  a  neighborhood  where  pigeons  fly  both  peas  and  peace 
take  wing. — Tim. 

JIT         The   old  practice   of   fastening   nest- 

^^B    boxes    on    the    outside    of   building   and 

jjjjP&g      allowing  the  occupants  to  range  at  will  is 

^  -44MMP     not  to  be  commended-      However  made 

they  present  an  unsightly  appearance,  and  pigeons  at 

liberty  in  a  community  are  an  intolerable  nuisance. 

It  is  better  in  every  way  to  have  a  separate  build- 
ing for  pigeons,  and  to  have  an  outside  fly  of  wire 
netting  connected  with  it  and  thus  to  keep  the  birds 
confined  at  all  seasons.  This  plan  is  especially  recom- 
mended when  any  considerable  number  is  kept. 

The  accompanying 
illustration  shows  a  loft  with 
the  breeding-room  eight  by 
sixteen  feet  and  a  cage  or 
fly  sixteen  by  sixteen  feet 
that  will  accommodate  twenty  to  forty  pairs.  In 
building  it  posts  are  set  firmly  in  the  ground,  pans 
inverted  over  them  to  keep  out  rats  and  mice  and 
the  sills  nailed  to  the  posts. 

For  larger  numbers  the  house  shown  on  the  next 
page  illustrates  a  cheap  and  practical  building.  It  is 


128 


BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 


eight  by  thirty-two  feet,  but  may  be  made  any  length 

desired.     The  front  is  ten  feet  high  and  the  rear  six 

feet.     The  roof,  rear  and  end  wall  should  be  wind  and 

rain-proof,  but  it  is  well  to 

have  a  considerable  portion 

of  the  front  open,  especially 

in  summer.      Netting  with 

two-inch  mesh  will  confine  pigeons,  but  where  the 

English  sparrow  abounds  one-inch  mesh  is  preferable. 

The  floor  of  the  loft  may  well  be  of  earth,  but  should 

be  dry. 

The  nest  boxes  in  a  loft  should  on  no  account  be 
made  in  rows  on  permanent  shelves  and  ot  a  uniform 
appearance.  Instead  of  regular  rows  of  nests  of  one 
pattern  use  large  soap  boxes,  starch  boxes,  irregular 
boxes,  nail  kegs  or  anything  that  will  give  indi- 
viduality to  the  home  of  each  pair.  Do  not  nail  these 
fast  to  the  walls  or  beams,  or  set  them  on  shelves  in 
regular  order,  but  hang  them  on  hooks  or  screw-eyes, 
so  they  can  be  easily  taken  down,. 

Figure  i  illustrates  how  a  soap  box  may  be  trans- 
formed into  a  first-class  home  for  a  pair  of  breeders. 
A  division  board  is  placed  in  the  mid- 
dle and  alighting  boards  at  either  end. 
Figure  2  shows  a  smaller  box  contain- 
ing but  a  single  nest,  so  made  that  no 
FIG.  i.  alighting  board  is  needed  and  the  roof 
sloped  to  prevent  perching  upon  it.  Two  of 
these  will  be  needed  for  each  pair  and  should 
be  placed  adjacent.  Nail  kegs  may  be  sus- 
pended by  wire  to  beams  or  rafters  and  have  FlG-  2- 
the  open  end  a  little  higher  than  the  other,  or  a  piece 


PIGEONS    FOR   MARKET.  129 

of  the  head  of  the  open  end  left  in,  to  keep  the  eggs 
and  squabs  from  tumbling  out. 

The  irregularity  in  shape  and  arrangement  of 
nests  may  shock  the  fastidious,  but  will  avoid  conten- 
tion and  confusion  among  the  birds,  which  frequently 
results  in  the  loss  of  eggs  and  squabs. 

For  raising  squabs  for  market  it  has 
been  proved  in  late  years  that  the  com- 
mon pigeon  does  not  give  the  uniform, 
plump,  attractive  carcass  that  the  market 
demands,  and  which  is  credited  to  the 
POUTER.  Homer  variety.  Some  advise  crosses 
with  Runt  and  Dragoon,  but  it  is  generally  conceded 
among  squab  growers  that  the  Homer  in  its  purity 
gives  all  the  requirements  of  a  squab  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  most  fastidious. 

It  is  desirable  to  have  breeders  that  raise  squabs 
with  light  skin  for  they  always  bring  the  top  price. 
The  color  of  the  skin  is  not  controlled,  as  is  popularly 
supposed,  by  the  color  of  the  feathers.  Parents  with 
white  plumage  may  have  dark  squabs,  and  those  as 
black  as  crows  may  produce  squabs  with  fair  skin. 

A  good  plan  to  stock  a  loft  is  to  buy  enough  mated 
birds  to  nil  it  one-fourth  full,  and  raise  enough  from 
these  to  make  up  the  complement,  selecting  the  young 
from  the  parents  that  prove  to  be  prolific, 
and  raise  the  largest  and  whitest  squabs. 
As  mated  birds  are  not  always  obtain- 
able the  next  best  plan  is  to  buy  squabs 
just  able  to  fly.     A  good  time  to  buy  is 
in  June,  July  and  August,  when  squabs       JACOBIN. 
are  low  in  price.      These  birds  will  pass  their  moult 


130  BIGGIE  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

and  begin  to  breed  in  the  following  winter  and  spring. 
Pigeons  breed  in  pairs,  and  when  once  mated 
remain  faithful  to  each  other  unless  the  union  is 
broken  by  death  or  by  the  coquetry  and  intrigue  of 
unmated  birds.  The  latter  are  sure  to  make  mischief 
and  care  should  be  taken  to  exclude  them,  or  to 
remove  them  from  the  loft  when  discovered.  It  is 
always  best  to  mate  pigeons,  that  are  not  known  to  be 
already  mated,  pair  by  pair,  before  turning  them  into 
the  loft.  This  may  be  done  by  placing  the  couple  in 
a  coop  or  cage  alone  for  two  or  three  days.  The 
novice  may  attempt  to  mate  two  of  the  same  sex. 
If  both  be  males,  the  cooing  and  strutting  and  fight- 
ing will  make  the  mistake  evident.  If  both  be 
females,  there  will  be  no  love-making,  but  may  be 
some  quarreling.  How  to  distinguish  the  sexes 
frequently  puzzles  experts.  The  experienced  eye 
can  generally  detect  the  masculine  or  feminine 
features  of  a  bird,  and  will  name  the  sex  nine  times 
out  of  ten.  There  is  no  way  to  get  this  experience 
except  by  long  and  careful  observation.  The  female 
is  smaller,  as  a  rule,  than  the  male,  and  has  a  feminine 
look  about  the  head  and  neck,  the  eyes  being  milder, 
the  head  narrower  and  the  neck  more  slender  than 
the  corresponding  parts  of  the  cock. 
The  hen  lays  two  eggs  and  then 
both  birds  assist  in  hatching  them. 
The  hen  sits  all  night  and  a  part  of 
the  day :  the  cock  sits  the  balance 
of  the  time.  Both  assist  in  feeding 
FANTAIL.  the  squabs.  If  the  hen  lays  again 
before  the  first  brood  are  out  of  the  nest  the  cock  will 


PIGEONS   FOR  MARKET.  131 

usually  take  entire  charge  of  the  young  besides  doing 
his  share  of  incubations.  The  two  eggs  will  usually 
hatch  one  male  and  one  female. 

The  natural  food  of  pigeons  is  grain  and  the 
seeds  of  grasses.  They  are  fond  of  millet,  clover 
seed  and  peas,  and  if  allowed  to  fly  when  these 
crops  are  sown  will  prove  very  destructive.  Hemp 
seed  is  to  pigeons  what  candy  is  to  children.  A 
little  may  be  given  them  on  entering  the  loft  to 
tame  them. 

For  a  steady  diet  the  following  is  commend  ed :  two 
parts  whole  corn,  two  parts  wheat  and  one  part  buck- 
wheat,  all  to  be  old,  sound  grain.  Screenings  to  be 
economical  should  be  purchased  for  one-fifth  the  price 
of  good  wheat.  New  grain  is  not  good  for  the  squabs. 
The  corn  should  be  a  variety  having  small  grains 
and  should  in  no  case  be  cracked. 

In  order  to  supply  feed  for  the  very  young  squabs 
it  is  well  to  keep  equal  parts  of  bran  and  corn  meal 
in  self-feeding  hoopers  always  before  the 
breeders.  Experience  has  proved  that 
the  old  ones  feed  with  greater  regularity 
and  fatten  their  young  better  when  the 
whole  grain  is  supplied  at  regular  hours,  TUMBLER^ 
three  times  a  day,  all  they  will  eat  up  clean.  They 
will  not  eat  grain  that  is  fouled,  if  they  can  avoid  it, 
and  should  not  be  compelled  to  do  so. 

For  side  dishes  they  should  have  ground  oyster 
shell  in  a  box  or  barrel  lid  where  they  can  help  them- 
selves, a  lump  of  rock  salt  and  a  bit  of  salt  codfish 
tacked  to  the  side  of  the  loft  by  several  nails,  so  they 
can  peck  at  it,  but  not  tear  it  down. 


132  BIGGIE  POULTRY   BOOK. 

The  floor  of  the  loft  should  be  kept  reasonably 
clean  and  be  strewn  occasionally  with  fresh  sand  and 
gravel.  Red  gravel  is  the  best,  as  it  contains  iron, 
the  oxide  of  iron  giving  it  its  peculiar  color.  Pigeons 
will  peck  at  clay  and  coal  ashes,  and  also  at  weeds 
and  grasses.  They  use  these  substances,  probably,  for 
medicinal  purposes,  as  dogs  eat  grass  and  cats  eat 
catnip. 

Pigeons  drink  a  great  deal  of  water,  and  it  is 
important  that  it  should  be  kept  clean.  Open  vessels 
should  never  be  used  in  a  loft,  unless  a  stream  of  pure 
i  water  can  be  kept  running  through 
them.  A  wire  cage  like  the  cut,  open 
at  the  bottom  and  closed  on  top,  set 
lover  a  basin,  makes  a  handy  arrange- 
ment. Stone  or  earthen  self-feeding  fountains,  such 
as  are  used  for  fowls,  are  good. 

A  daily  bath  in  summer,  and  twice  a  week  in 
winter,  is  essential  to  the  comfort  and  health  of  the 
flock.  Wide,  shallow  milk  pans  answer  very  well  for 
bath  tubs.  These  may  be  set  out  in  the  fly  filled  with 
water,  and  allowed  to  remain  an  hour  or  two  and  then 
emptied. 

An  open  feed-trough  is  quite  as  objectionable  as 
open  water  vessels.  The  feed  in  them  becomes 
foul  and  much  of  it  is  wasted.  The  ( 
self-feeding  hopper  shown  in  the 
accompanying  illustration  is  one  of 
the  best  that  can  be  found.  These 
hoppers  can  be  made  of  starch  or  soap  boxes,  by  any 
one  handy  with  tools.  The  lid  should  be  broad  enough 
to  cover  completely  the  feed  trough  at  the  sides. 


• 


PIGEONS   FOR   MARKET.  133 

and  these  troughs  should  be  just  broad  enough  to 
allow  the  birds  to  feed  without  permitting  them  to 
get  in  with  their  feet. 

Pigeon  eggs  hatch  in  sixteen  or  eighteen  days. 
After  the  first  few  days  the  young  ones  grow  with 
wonderful  rapidity,  if  the  parents  are  supplied  with 
proper  food  and  do  their  duty.  In  from  four  to  six 
weeks  the  squabs  are  old  enough  to  kill.  Some 
develop  so  much  more  rapidly  than  others  that  no 
fixed  date  can  be  given  at  which  it  may  be  said  they 
are  of  the  right  age  to  be  in  the  best  condition  to 
sell.  When  this  period  is  reached  the  neck  feathers 
have  passed  the  pin-feather  stage,  and  the  tail  is 
usually  about  three  inches  long,  but  the  bird  is  still 
unable  to  fly.  When  they  begin  to  fly  they  are  too 
"  hard, "  as  dealers  say,  and  when  the  skin  of  the  crop 
and  of  the  abdominal  pouch  is  thin  and  transparent 
and  these  parts  are  full  and  the  breast  undeveloped, 
the  dealers  complain  that  they  are  too  "soft."  It 
often  happens  that  one  of  a  pair — it  is  usually  the 
male — is  ready  for  market  a  week  before  its  mate. 
By  marketing  the  larger  and  leaving  the  smaller  one 
to  be  nursed  by  the  parents,  it  will  be  ready  to  go 
with  the  next  lot. 

Squabs  are  killed  and  dressed  just  like  chickens,, 
by  bleeding  in  the  mouth  and  picking  dry.  They  are 
in  the  best  condition  for  killing  in  the  morning  before 
the  old  ones  give  them  their  breakfast. 

After  killing  and  dressing  they  may  be  tied  in 
pairs,  or  in  half  dozens,  and  put  into  cold  water,  or 
packed  on  ice  until  sent  to  market. 

Where  breeders  are  a  long  distance  from  market 


134  BIGGIE  POUI/TRY  BOOK. 

it  is  better  to  send  squabs  in  crates  alive.  In  this  case 
they  must  be  old  enough  to  fly,  or,  at  least,  old 
enough  to  feed  themselves. 

There  should  be  a  weekly  slaughter  on  a  fixed 
date  in  the  week.  On  these  occasions  every  nest 
should  be  examined  so  that  no  bird  that  is  old  enough 
may  be  overlooked  or  get  away. 

A  well-managed  flock  will  raise,  on  an  average, 
five  pairs  of  squabs  annually  for  every  pair  of  birds  it 
contains.  It  is  not  safe  to  ba^e  calculations  for  profit  on 
a  greater  increase  than  this,  although  it  is  quite  possible. 

Prices  vary  with  the  season,  rising  in  the  winter 
and  spring  and  falling  in  summer.  Near  the  large 
eastern  markets  it  is  safe  to  reckon  on  an  average  of 
forty  cents  a  pair.  This  will  make  the  returns  from 
one  pair  of  breeders  $2.40  a  year.  During  this  time 
the  parents  and  their  progeny  will  consume  food 
worth  at  least  $1.50.  This  will  leave  a  balance  to  their 
credit  of  ninety  cents.  The  dioppings  of  a  pair  of 
pigeons  in  confinement  are  worth  ten  cents  a  year, 
which  will  make  the  profit,  not  counting  labor,  an 
even  dollar.  It  is  possible  to  do  better  than  this  and 
possible  also  to  do  worse. 


CHAPTKR  XVI. 
FATTENING  AND  MARKETING  CHICKENS. 

Well-fattened  and  cleanly  dressed  poultry  is  half  sold. 
The  market  is  never  overstocked  with  strictly  fresh  eggs. 

—Tim. 

It  is  a  waste  of  time  and  food  to  sell  any  but  well- 
fed,  well-conditioned  and  well-dressed  poultry.  Sound 
yellow  corn  is  the  best  grain  for  fattening  purposes. 
The  more  of  it  fowls  can  be  induced  to  eat  and  digest, 
the  quicker  they  will  fatten.  Whatever  else  is  fur- 
nished should  be  given  as  a  condiment  to  aid  in  the 
assimilation  of  the  corn.  Two  of  the  three  meals  of 
fattening  fowls  should  consist  of  corn  meal  mixed 
with  milk  and  seasoned  with  salt.  For  the  noon  meal 
whole  corn  and  wheat  with  a  little  vegetable  food  of 
some  kind  and  a  little  meat  may  be  given  for  a  change. 
Clean  water,  plenty  of  sharp,  gritty  gravel  and  a  box 
of  granulated  charcoal  should  be  kept  before  them  at 
all  times.  Food  should  not  be  permitted  to  lie  before 
them  bu£  they  should  have  at  each  meal  all  they  will 
eat  up  clean,  and  every  bird  should  have  a  chance  and 
time  to  get  his  portion.  Fowls  will  continue  to  im- 
prove just  as  long  as  they  continue  to  eat  with  a  relish. 
How  long  this  will  be  depends  much  upon  the  skill  of 
the  feeder.  From  ten  to  fourteen  days  is  the  time 
usually  allowed  for  fattening  chickens.  It  is  difficult 
to  carry  on  the  process  longer  in  coops,  but  in  small 
yards  and  under  skilful  hands  it  may  be  prolonged  for  a 


138  BIGGIE   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

month.  As  a  rule  the  operation  can  be  most  quickly 
and  economically  done  in  a  properly  made  coop. 
Figure  I  illustrates  one  that  is  admirably  adapted  to 
the  purpose.  A  portion  of  the 
front  wall  is  cut  away  to  show 
t  its  interior.  It  is  eight  feet  long, 
'FIG.  i.  three  feet  wide  and  four  feet 

high  in  front,  two-and-a-half  feet  high  in  the  rear, 
and  set  two  feet  from  the  ground. 

A  pole  is  attached  to  a  movable  partition,  which 
slides  on  slats.  When  it  is  desired  to  catch  the  fowls, 
by  laying  hold  of  the  pole  where  it  protrudes  through 
the  end  the  fowls  are  all  drawn  up  close  to  the  door. 
The  bottom  is  made  of  slats.  The  feeding  trough  is 
six  inches  wide  and  four  inches  deep  and  has  a  lid. 

When  large  numbers  are  to  be  prepared  at  one 
time  a  fattening  coop  is  not  available.  But  wherever 
it  may  be  done  the  birds  should  be  kept  in  a  quiet 
and  restful  state.  This  will  preclude  the  putting 
together  those  of  different  flocks  and  ages  that  are 
likely  to  fight  and  keep  up  a  turmoil  in  the  pen. 

Ducks  and  ducklings  do  best  in  small  pens  or 
yards.  The  same  may  be  said  of  goslings.  Old  geese 
will  fatten  while  running  at  large.  Water  fowl  need 
more  vegetable  food  while  fattening  than  do  chickens. 
No  poultry,  however,  should  be  fed  green  vegetables 
or  grass  for  two  days  before  being  killed.  Onions, 
turnips,  cabbage,  fish  or  other  food  having  a  pungent 
odor  should  not  be  fed  during  the  fattening  period. 

Turkeys  do  not  thrive  well  in  confinement  and 
can  best  be  fitted  for  market  while  on  the  range,  but 
special  care  should  be  taken  for  a  month  or  six  weeks 


FATTENING   AND   MARKETING.  139 

to  let  them  have  all  the  fattening  food  they  can  be 
tempted  to  eat. 

The  caponizing  or  emasculation  of  male  chickens 
may  be  mentioned  here,  as  it  pertains  to  their  better 
preparation  for  market.  The  manner  of  performing 
the  operation  can  best  be  learned  under  a  skilled 
operator,  but  those  who  sell  the  necessary  instruments 
send  with  them  instructions  from  which,  with  prac- 
tice, any  one  may  become  proficient  in  the  art.  The 
effect  on  chickens  is  the  same  as  on  animals,  it  makes 
the  subject  quieter  in  disposition  and  greatly  improves 
the  quality  of  the  flesh.  Capons,  therefore,  are  easier 
to  manage,  easier  to  fatten  and  bring  a  better  price 
than  any  other  poultry  except  early  broilers. 

It  is  generally  the  later  hatched  cockerels  that  are 
caponized.  The  earlier  ones  pay  best  to  sell  as 
broilers  or  roasters.  All  hatched  before  the  ist  of 
April  can  be  marketed  before  the'  July  drop  in  price 
occurs,  or  kept  over  for  the  early  fall  trade.  The 
cockerels  of  the  April,  May  and  June  broods  are  ready 
for  the  operation  in  from  three  to  four  months  from 
hatching  and  will  have  ten  months  in  which  to  grow 
for  the  capon  market,  which  includes  the  period 
between  the  middle  of  January  to  the  middle  of  April. 

The  breeds  best  adapted  for  capons  are  the 
medium  and  large  ones  or  their  crosses. 

In  preparing  and  dressing  poultry  for  market  the 
intelligent  poultry  keeper  will  seek  to  learn  what  the 
general  market  requires  and  what  special  requirement 
is  made  by  the  market  to  which  he  is  about  to  ship. 
Dry-picked  poultry  sells  best  in  all  markets.  By  this 
manner  of  dressing  the  skin  retains  its  color  and  the 


140  BIGGIE  POUI/TRY  BOOK. 

flesh  its  natural  firmness.  When  scalded  the  skin 
turns  blue,  tears  easily  and  peels  off,  giving  the  carcass 
an  aged  and  uninviting  appearance.  It  pays  to  dry- 
pick  and  when  the  art  is  learned  it  is  a  speedier 
method  than  scalding. 

To  dry-pick  with  ease  and  dispatch  the  bird 
should  be  hung  up  by  the  legs  at  a  convenient  height, 
and  bled  by  making  a  cut  across  the  back  of  the 
mouth,  finishing  by  a  deft  thrust  of  the  point  of  the 
knife  into  the  spinal  cord  at  the  base  of  the  brain. 
This  paralyzes  the  bird,  relaxes  the  muscles  and 
loosens  the  feathers.  This  last  thrust  is  acquired  by 
practice  and  makes  dry-picking  easy  and  rapid. 

Poultry  for  the  New  York  and  Philadelphia  mar- 
kets should  be  plucked  clean. 
Capons  should  have  the  feathers 
of  the  head  and  neck,  tips   of 
1  llflj  wirgs  and  the  tail  left  on.     The 

first  joint  of  the  wings  of  ducks 
and  turkeys  is  usually  removed 

•  ^jjjjjjjjj^jj^&ir  along  with  the  feathers  and 
retained  by  the  farmer's  wife 
or  sold  for  dusters. 

Boston  must  have  its  poultry 
CAPONS  FOR  PHILADA.    "  drawn  "  ;  that  is,  the  entrails 
MARKET.  removed.     Broilers  need  not  be 

drawn.  Ducks  should  have  the  tips  of  wings  left  on 
and  the  wings  tied  to  the  body,  to  retain  the  shape  of 
the  carcass. 

Baltimore  also  requires  poultry  to  be  drawn. 
Chicago  wants  its  poultry  dry-picked,  with  heads 
off  and  the  skin  drawn  over  the  neck  and  tied,  and 
the  entrails  removed. 


FATTENING   AND   MARKETING.  141 

In  all  cases  when  dressed  poultry  is  sent  to  mar- 
ket undrawn,  the  crop  should  be  entirely  empty. 
This  condition  may  be  secured  by  not  feeding  them 
for  twelve  hours  before  killing. 

Some  markets  demand  yellow-flesh  fowls,  others 
prefer  white,  but  all  want  plump,  nicely  fattened 
stock. 

In  packing  poultry  dry  for  shipment  to  market 
use  clean  barrels  or  boxes  holding  about  two  hundred 
pounds.  L/ine  the  case  or  barrel  with  clean  manilla 
paper,  but  use  no  packing.  Place  the  poultry  in 
breasts  down  and  legs  out  straight,  crowding  them 
together  closely  so  as  to  fill  the  entire  space.  Put 
paper  over  the  top  layer  and  fasten  a  cover  of  burlap 
over  the  barrel  and  slats  over  the  case.  Poultry  can 
be  shipped  in  this  manner  in  cool  weather.  It  must 
be  thoroughly  cooled  before  packing  and  all  blood  and 
stains  wiped  off. 

For  warm-weather  shipments  poultry  must  be 
packed  in  ice.  For  this  purpose  sugar  barrels  are 
commonly  used.  Holes  are  first  bored  in  the  bottom 
for  drainage  and  a  layer  of  broken  ice  put  in  the 
bottom.  A  layer  of  poultry  is  put  on  this  ice,  breast 
down,  heads  out  and  feet  towards  center.  The  layer 
of  poultry  complete,  a  layer  of  ice  is  put  on  and  then 
a  layer  of  poultry  until  the  top  is  reached,  when  one 
or  several  large  lumps  are  piled  on  top  and  a  burlap 
cover  over  all. 

The  address  of  the  consignee  and  the  weight  of 
the  poultry  should  be  placed  conspicuously  on  the 
cover,  along  with  the  address  of  the  consignor. 
When  mixed  lots  are  sent,  if  large  enough,  it  is  best 


142  BIGGIE  POULTRY   BOOK. 

to  pack  separate!}-,  or,  if  packed  in  one  barrel,  they 
should  be  grouped  together  and  the  weight  of  each 
noted  on  the  cover. 

All  shipments  should  be  made  so  as  to  be  sure  to 
reach  the  market  before  the  close  of  the  week  and  at 
least  three  days  before  a  holiday. 

For  long-distance  shipments  poultry  is  usually 
cooped  alive  in  crates  or  hampers  made  for  the  pur- 
pose of  slats  or  of  wire  and  splints.  Different  kinds 
of  poultry  and  birds  of  different  ages  and  sizes  should 
not  be  crowded  into  one  hamper  or  the  smaller  and 
weaker  may  be  trampled  to  death  by  their  stronger 
companions.  To  be  sure  of  rapid  transit  it  is  safest 
to  ship  poultry  by  express,  but  as  to  this  every  one 
must  be  guided  by  circumstances. 

Eggs  are  now  nearly  all  shipped  in  crates  having 
-what  are  called  pasteboard  "fillers."  The  standard 
crate  holds  thirty  dozen  and  the  gift  form  of  it  that  is 
sold  with  the  eggs  is  popular  with  dealers.  The  pro- 
ducer of  eggs  who  can  ship  once  or  twice  even,-  week 
to  a  dealer  or  grocer  having  good  customers,  and  who 
will  send  only  clean  and  strictly  fresh  eggs,  can  usually 
get  a  few  cents  above  the  market  price.  The  vicious 
system  of  collecting  and  marketing  eggs  in  vogue 
in  this  country  is  responsible,  to  some  extent,  for 
the  low  prices  that  prevail  at  certain  seasons.  The 
eggs  are  left  in  the  nests  a  few  days,  then  kept  in  the 
house  for  a  week,  then  traded  for  groceries  at  the 
village  store.  In  a  week  or  two  they  are  sent  by  the 
grocery-man  to  the  citv  and  through  a  dealer  are  dis- 
tributed to  city  grocers,  finally  reaching  the  con- 
sumer as  "  fresh  country  eggs." 


FATTENING   AND   MARKETING.  143 

A  successful  egg  farmer  who  made  money  at  the 
business  always  shipped  his  eggs  in  sealed  crates  to 
a  dealer  who  had  a  gilt-edged  trade  and  guaranteed 
every  egg  to  be  fresh  and  sound.  The  dealer  sold 
them  under  this  guarantee  to  customers  who  were 
willing  to  pay  an  advanced  price  for  such  stock.  The 
result  was  satisfactory  to  all  parties  concerned. 


A    POOR   FATTENING   PROCESS. 


If  you  have  bought  tarred  felt  to  line  the  poultry  house  with, 
to  keep  the  flock  warm,  don't  do  it.  Put  it  on  the  outside. 
Brighten  up  the  inside  with  lime  wash. 

Keep  wood  ashes  out  of  the  hen  house.  A  small  portion 
may  be  mixed  with  the  loam  in  the  dust-box  for  medicinal 
purposes.  Wood  ashes  bleach  the  shanks  of  fowls  and  when 
mixed  with  the  droppings  cause  the  ammonia  to  escape. 

Notice  with  what  pleasure  a  hen  scratches  among  the  forest 
leaves  in  summer.  This  is  a  hint  to  save  the  leaves  to  scatter 
on  the  floor  of  the  poultry  house  in  winter. 

Corn  meal  fresh  from  the  mill  will  quickly  heat  and  sooil  in 
warm  weather  if  not  looked  after.  Mix  with  bran  and  stir  it  up 
occasionally.  If  it  becomes  mouldy  and  caked  throw  it  on  the 
manure  pile  ;  do  not  feed  to  fowls. 

To  preserve  eggs  for  family  use,  pack  strictly  fresh  ones  in 
fine  salt,  small  end  down,  so  they  do  not  touch  each  other,  u  hen 
the  box  is  lull  screw  lid  on  and  turn  twice  a  week. 

A  person  who  formerly  kept  a  large  flock  of  laying  hens  and 
had  an  old-fashioned  stationary  boiler,  put  in  whatever  vegeta- 
bles and  meat  he  had  to  cook  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, 
filled  the  boiler  nearly  full  of  water  and  started  the  fire.  By 
supper  time  the  vegetables  and  meat  were  tender,  the  fire  nearly 
out,  but  the  water  still  boiling  hot.  Ju: '  ^t  this  time  he  would 
stir  in  the  corn  meal  and  bran  unti1  the  mush  was  as  thick  as 
could  be  conveniently  stirred,  covered  it  up  tightly  and  in  the 
morning  there  was  the  most  delicious  breakfast  for  a  flock  of 
hens  that  could  be  made. 


144 


POUI/TRY   BOOK. 


Put  a  dash  of  red  paint  on  the  left  wing  of  your  turkeys,  let 
your  neighbors  paint  theirs  on  the  right  wing  or  on  the  shoulder. 
Have  an  agreement  in  the  matter  and  then  there  will  be  greater 
harmony  in  the  fall. 

Feather-duster  makers  buy  turkey  feathers.  The  long  tail 
feathers  (i)  and  the  wing  feathers  (2)  are  the  most  valuable.  The 
pointers  (3)  growing  on  the  first  join,  they  do  not 
want.  Thrifty  housewives  cut  off  and  dry  the  first 
joint  for  kitchen  use.  The  long  feathers  at  the  root 
of  the  tail  are  also  utilized  in  making  dusters.  All 
feathers  for  sale  should  be  dry-picked  and  free  from 
soil  and  blood.  To  pack  these  large  feathers,  put 
sacking  in  a  box  the  size  of  the  proposed  bundle,  lay  feathers  in 
flat  and  straight,  press  down,  draw  the  sacking  over  and  sew 
up.  Do  not  put  different  kinds  together.  The  price  of  turkey 
and  chicken  body  feathers  is  generally  low,  but  by  picking  over 
a  barrel  or  box  they  may  be  saved  without  much  extra  labor. 
The  importance  of  saving  duck  and  geese  feathers  need  hardly 
be  mentioned. 

A  most  excellent  remedy  for  many  sick  fowls  is  composed  of 
a  sharp  hatchet  and  a  good  spade. 

A  hen  hatching  ducks  is  simply  brooding  over  trouble  fof 
herself 


w 
w 


w 

en 

p 

£ 

i 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

DISEASES  AND  ENEMIES. 

Dampness ,  filth  and  roup  occupy  the  same  quarters  and  are- 
fast  friends. 

A  bucket  of  whitewash  is  better  than  a  chestful  of  medicine.. 

—Tim's  Wife. 

Many  of  the  ills  that  poultry  flesh  is  heir  to  are 
directly  traceable  to  bad  breeding  and  treatment. 
In-and-in-breeding  is  practiced  and  the  law  of  the 
survival  of  the  fittest  is  disregarded  until  the  stock 
becomes  weak  and  a  prey  to  disease. 

Yards  and  runs  occupied  for  any  considerable- 
time  become  covered  with  excreta  and  a  breeding 
ground  for  all  manner  of  disease  germs. 

Dampness  from  leaky  roofs  or  from  wet  earth, 
floors,  and  draughts  from  side  cracks,  or  from  over- 
head ventilation  slay  their  thousands  yearly. 

A  one-sided  diet  of  grain,  especially  corn,  moldy 
grain  or  meal,  decayed  meat  or  vegetables,  filthy 
water,  or  the  lack  of  gritty  material  are  fruitful, 
sources  of  sickness. 

In  the  treatment  of  sick  birds  much  depends  on 
the  nursing  and  care.  It  is  useless  to  give  medicine 
unless  some  honest  attempt  be  made  to  remove  the 
causes  that  produce  the  disturbance.  Unless  removed 
the  cause  will  continue  to  operate  and  the  treatment 
must  be  repeated. 

It  is  an  excellent  plan  to  have  a  coop  in  some 
secluded  place  to  be  used  exclusively  as  a  hospital.  If 


148  BIGGlyK   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

cases  cannot  be  promptly  treated  it  is  better  to  use 
the  hatchet  at  once  and  bury  deeply,  or  burn  the 
carcasses,.  This  is  the  proper  plan  in  every  case 
where  birds  become  very  ill  before  they  are  discovered. 

Sick  birds  should  in  no  case  be  allowed  to  run 
with  the  flock  and  to  eat  and  drink  with  them. 

In  giving  the  following  remedies  I  make  no 
pretence  to  a  scientific  handling  of  the  subject. 
Homeopathic  remedies  are  given  along  with  the 
common  drugs.  Readers  can  "  pay  their  money  and 
take  their  choice." 

When  the  former  are  used  they  should  be  pur- 
chased of  a  homeopathic  physician  or  homeopathic 
pharmacy.  In  administering  them  to  fowls  able  to 
eat  and  drink,  fifteen  or  twenty  pellets,  or  five  to  ten 
drops  of  liquid,  may  be  put  in  a  pint  of  drinking 
water,  or  the  water  may  be  used  to  moisten  their  soft 
food.  If  administered  to  the  sick  bird  directly,  a  few 
pellets,  four  or  five,  or  a  tablespoonful  of  the  medi- 
cated water  may  be  put  down  the  patient's  throat  four 
or  five  times  a  day. 

FEVERS,  from  colds,  fighting  of  cocks,  etc.  Symptoms  : 
unusual  heat  of  body,  red  face,  watery  eyes  and  watery  discharge 
from  nostrils. 

Give  dessertspoonful  citrate  of  magnesia  and,  as  a  drink, 
ten  drops  of  nitre  in  half  a  pint  of  water. 

Homeopathic  remedy— Aconite,  3,  in  drinking  water. 

APOPLEXY  AND  VERTIGO,  from  overfeeding  or  fright. 
Symptoms  :  unsteady  motion  of  the  head,  running  around,  loss 
•of  control  of  limbs.  Give  a  purgative  and  bleed  from  the  large 
veins  under  wing.  Homeopathic — Belladonna,  3.  Give  a  light, 
non-stimulating  diet  and  keep  in  a  quiet  place. 

PARALYSIS,  from  highly  seasoned  food  and  over  stimulating 
•diet  Symptoms  :  inability  to  use  the  limbs,  birds  lie  helpless 


DISEASES  AND   ENEMIES.  149 

on  their  side.    Allopathic  treatment— The  same  as  for  apoplexy. 
Homeopathic— Nux  vomica,  3. 

LEG  WEAKNESS  occurs  in  fast-growing  young  birds,  mostly 
among  cockerels.  A  fowl  having  this  weakness  will  show  it  by 
squatting  on  the  ground  frequently  and  by  a  tottering  walk. 
When  not  hereditary  it  usually  arises  from  a  diet  that  contains 
too  much  fat  and  too  little  flesh  and  bone-making  material, 
such  as  bread,  rice,  corn  and  potatoes.  To  this  should  be  added 
cut  green  bone,  oats,  shorts,  bran  and  clover,  green  or  dry. 
Give  a  tonic  pill  three  times  a  day  made  of  sulphate  of  iron, 
i  grain  ;  strychnine,  i  grain ;  phosphate  of  lime,  16  grains ; 
sulphate  of  quinine,  %  grain.  Make  into  thirty  pills.  Homeo- 
pathic— Calcarea  silicata,  6.  If  occurring  in  young  birds  after 
exposure  to  dampness  or  a  sudden  change  to  cold  weather,  give 
dulcamara,  15. 

CANKER  OF  THE  MOUTH  AND  HEAD.  The  sores  character- 
istic of  this  disease  are  covered  with  a  yellow,  cheesy  matter 
whkh,  when  it  is  removed,  reveals  the  raw  flesh.  Canker  will 
rapidly  spread  through  a  flock,  as  the  exudation  from  the 
sores  is  a  virulent  poison,  and  well  birds  are  contaminated 
through  the  soft  feed  and  drinking  water.  Sick  birds  should  be 
separated  from  the  flock  and  all  water  and  feed  vessels  disin- 
fected by  scalding  or  coating  with  lime  wash.  Apply  to  sores 
with  a  small  pippet  syringe  or  dropper  the  peroxide  of  hydro- 
gen. When  the  entire  surface  is  more  or  less  affected,  use  a 
sprayer.  Where  there  is  much  of  the  cheesy  matter  formed, 
first  remove  it  with  a  large  quill  before  using  the  peroxide.  A 
simple  remedy  is  an  application  to  the  raw  flesh  of  powdered 
alum,  scorched  until  slightly  brown.  Homeopathic — Mercurius, 
vivus  or  nitric  acid  internally,  with  the  use  of  sulphurous  acid 
spray. 

SCALY  LEG,  caused  by  a  microscopic  insect  burrowing  beneath 
the  natural  scales  of  the  shank.  At  first  the  shanks  appear  dry, 
and  a  fine  scale  like  dandruff  forms.  Soon  the  natural  scale 
disappears  and  gives  place  to  a  hard,  white  scurf.  The  disease 
passes  from  one  fowl  to  another  through  the  medium  of  nests 
and  perches,  and  the  mother-hen  infecting  her  brood.  To  pre- 
vent its  spread,  coat  perches  with  kerosene  and  burn  old  nesting 
material  and  never  use  sitting  hens  affected  by  the  disease.  To 
cure,  mix  l/2  ounce  flowers  of  sulphur,  %  ounce  carbolic  acid 


150  BIGGU3   POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

crystals  and  stir  these  into  i  pound  of  melted  lard.  Apply  with  an 
old  tooth  brush,  rubbing  in  well.  Make  applications  at  inter- 
vals of  a  week. 

WORMS  in  the  intestines  of  fowls  indicate  disturbed  diges- 
tion. I/oss  of  appetite  and  lack  of  thrift  are  signs  of  their 
presence.  Give  santonin  in  2-grain  doses  six  hours  apart.  A  few 
hours  after  the  second  dose  give  a  dessertspoonful  of  castor  oil. 
Or,  put  15  drops  of  spirits  of  turpentine  in  a  pint  of  water  and 
moisten  the  feed  with  it.  Homeopathic — Cina,  3. 

BUMBLE-FOOT,  caused  by  a  bruise  in  flying  down  from 
perches  or  in  some  similar  manner.  A  small  corn  appears  on 
the  bottom  of  the  foot,  which  swells  and  ulcerates  and  fills  with 
hard,  cheesy  pus.  With  a  sharp  knife  make  a  cross  cut  and 
carefully  remove  all  the  pus.  Wash  the  cavity  with  warm  water, 
dip  the  foot  in  a  solution  of  one-fourth  ounce  sulphate  of  copper 
to  a  quart  of  water  and  bind  up  with  a  rag  and  place  the  bird 
on  a  bed  of  dry  straw.  Before  putting  on  the  bandage  anoint 
the  wound  with  the  ointment  recommended  for  scaly  leg  or 
coat  it  with  iodine. 

'  GAPES,  caused  by  the  gape-worm,  a  parasite  that  attaches 
itself  to  the  windpipe,  filling  it  up  and  causing  the  bird 
to  gasp  for  breath.  The  cut  shows  the  natural  size 
of  the  parasite  as  it  appears  attached  to  the  windpipe.  I 
The  worm  is  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long,  smooth  1 
and  red  in  color.  It  appears  to  be  forked  at  one  end,  but 
in  reality  each  parasite  is  two  worms,  a  male  and 
female,  firmly  joined  together  ;  the  male  is  shown  at  D, 
and  the  female,  which  is  the  larger  of  the  two,  is  seen  at 
1$.  B  is  a  section  of  the  windpipe.  This  parasite  breeds  ' 
in  the  common  earth  worm.  Chicks  over  three  months  old  are 
seldom  affected.  If  kept  off  of  the  ground  for  two  months  after 
hatching,  or  on  perfectly  dry  soil,  or  on  land  where  affected 
chicks  have  never  run,  chicks  will  seldom  suffer  from  the 
gapes.  Old  runs  and  infested  soil  should  have  frequent 
dressings  of  lime. 

In  severe  cases  the  worms  should  be  removed.  To 
do  this  put  a  few  drops  of  kerosene  in  a  teaspoonful  of 
sweet  oil.  Strip  a  soft  wing  feather  of  its  web  to 
within  an  inch  of  the  tip  as  shown  in  the  illustration, 
dip  in  the  oil,  insert  feather  in  windpipe,  twirl  and 


DISEASES  AND   ENEMIES.  151 

withdraw.  Very  likely  some  of  the  parasites  and  mucus  will 
come  with  it.  The  rest  will  be  loosened  or  killed,  and  event- 
ually thrown  out.  It  may  be  necessary  to  repeat  the  operation. 

To  kill  the  worm  in  its  lodgment,  gum  camphor  in  the 
drinking  water  or  pellets  of  it  as  large  as  a  pea  forced  down  the 
throat  is  recommended.  Turpentine  in  the  soft  feed,  as  advised 
in  the  treatment  for  worms  in  the  intestines,  is  said  to  be  effect- 
ive. Pinching  the  windpipe  with  the  thumb  and  finger  will 
sometimes  loosen  the  parasite. 

When  broods  are  quartered  on  soil  known  to  be  infested, 
air-slaked  lime  should  be  dusted  on  the  floor  of  the  coop,  and 
every  other  night,  for  two  or  three  weeks,  a  little  of  the  same 
should  be  dusted  in  the  coop  over  the  hen  and  her  brood.  To 
apply,  use  a  dusting  bellows  and  only  a  little  each  time. 

CHOLERA  is  due  to  a  specific  germ,  or  virus,  and  must  not 
be  confounded  with  common  diarrhoea.  In  genuine  cholera 
digestion  is  arrested,  the  crop  remains  full,  there  is  fever  and 
great  thirst.  The  bird  drinks,  but  refuses  food  and  appears  to 
be  in  distress.  There  is  a  thickening  of  the  blood,  which  is 
made  evident  in  the  purple  color  of  the  comb.  The  discharges 
from  the  kidneys,  called  the  urates,  which  in  health  are  white, 
become  yellowish,  deep  yellow,  or,  in  the  final  stages,  a  greenish- 
yellow.  The  diarrhoea  grows  more  severe  as  the  disease  pro- 
gresses. A  fowl  generally  succumbs  in  two  days.  The  virus  of 
cholera  is  not  diffusible  in  the  air,  but  remains  in  the  soil, 
which  becomes  infected  from  the  discharges,  and  in  the  body  and 
blood  of  the  victims.  It  may  be  carried  from  place  to  place  on 
the  feet  of  other  fowls  or  animals.  Soil  may  be  disinfected  by 
saturating  it  with  a  weak  solution  of  sulphuric  acid  in  water. 
Remove  at  once  all  well  birds  to  new  and  clean  quarters  and 
wring  the  necks  of  all  sick  birds  and  burn  their  carcasses  and 
disinfect  their  quarters. 

For  cases  not  too  far  gone  to  cure  give  sugar  of  lead, 
pulverized  opium,  gum  camphor,  of  each,  60  grains,  powdered 
capsicum  (or  fluid  extract  of  capsicum  is  better,  10  drops), 
grains,  10.  Dissolve  the  camphor  in  just  enough  alcohol  that 
will  do  so  without  making  it  a  fluid,  then  rub  up  the  other  ingre- 
dients in  the  same  bolus,  mix  with  soft  corn  meal  dough, 
enough  to  make  it  into  a  mass,  then  roll  it  and  divide  the  whole 
into  one  hundred  and  twenty  pills.  Dose,  one  to  three  pills  a 


152  BIGGIE  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

day  for  grown  chicks  or  turkey,  less  to  the  smaller  fry.  The 
birds  that  are  well  enough  to  eat  should  have  sufficient  powdered 
charcoal  in  their  soft  feed  every  other  day  to  color  it  slightly, 
and  for  every  twenty  fowls  five  drops  of  carbolic  acid  in  the  hot 
water  with  which  the  feed  is  moistened. 

Homeopathic — Arsenicum,  6,  or  arsenicum  iodatum.  As  a 
preventive,  use  a  few  drops  of  camphor  in  the  drinking  water. 

ROUP.  The  first  symptoms  are  those  of  a  cold  in  the  head. 
Later  on  the  watery  discharge  from  the  nostrils  and  e}'es 
thickens  and  fills  the  nasal  cavities  and  throat,  the  head  swells 
and  the  eyes  close  ap  and  bulge  out.  The  odor  from  affected 
fowls  is  very  offensive.  It  is  contagious  by  diffusion  in  the  air 
and  by  contact  with  the  exudations  from  sick  fowls.  To  disinfect 
houses  and  coops  burn  sulphur  and  carbolic  acid  in  them  after 
turning  the  fowls  out  and  keep  closed  for  an  hour  or  two.  Pour 
a  gill  of  turpentine  and  a  gill  of  carbolic  acid  over  a  peck  oi 
lime  and  let  it  become  slaked,  then  scatter  freely  over  the 
interior  of  houses  and  coops  and  about  the  yards. 

For  the  first  stages  spray  the  affected  flock  while  on  the 
roost  or  in  the  coop  with  a  mixture  of  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
carbolic  acid  and  a  piece  of  fine  salt  as  big  as  a  walnut  in  a 
pint  of  water.  Repeat  two  or  three  times  a  week.  Or,  if  a  dry 
powder  is  preferred,  mix  equal  parts  of  sulphur,  alum  and 
magnesia  and  dust  this  in  their  nostrils,  eyes  and  throat  with  a 
small  powder  gun.  The  nasal  cavities  should  be  kept  open  by 
injecting  with  a  glass  syringe  or  sewing  machine  oil-can  a  drop 
or  two  of  crude  petroleum.  A  little  should  be  introduced  also 
through  the  slit  in  the  roof  of  the  mouth.  Give  sick  birds  a 
dessertspoonful  of  castor  oil  two  nights  in  succession,  and  feed 
soft  food  of  bran  and  corn  meal  seasoned  with  red  pepper  and 
powdered  charcoal.  A  physician  advises  the  following  treat- 
ment :  hydrastin,  10  grains  ;  sulph.  quinine,  10  grains  ;  capsi- 
cum, 20  grains.  Mixed  in  a  mass  with  balsam  copaiba  and 
made  into  twenty  pills  ;  give  one  pill  morning  and  night  ;  keep 
the  bird  warm  and  inject  a  saturated  solution  of  chlorate  potash 
in  nostrils  and  about  20  drops  down  the  throat. 

Homeopathic — Aconite,  3,  in  first  stages  ;  mercurius  vivus, 
6,  when  the  discharge  becomes  thick  ;  and  spongia,  15,  when 
there  is  a  rattling  and  croupy  condition  in  the  throat. 

PIP,  so-called,  is  not  a  disease  but  only  a  symptom.     The 


DISEASES   AND  ENEMIES.  I$3 

drying  and  hardening  of  the  end  of  the  tongue  in  what  is 
called  "  pip"  is  due  to  breathing  through  the  mouth,  which  the 
bird  is  compelled  to  do  because  of  the  stoppage  of  the  nostrils. 
By  freeing  the  natural  air  passages  the  tongue  will  resume  its 
normal  condition. 

DIPHTHERIA  is  a  contagious  disease.  The  first  symptoms 
are  those  of  a  common  cold  and  catarrh.  The  head  becomes  red 
and  there  are  signs  of  fever,  then  the  throat  fills  up  with  thick, 
white  mucus  and  white  ulcers  appear.  The  bird  looks  anxious 
and  stretches  its  neck  and  gasps.  When  it  attacks  young  chicks 
it  is  frequently  mistaken  for  gapes.  When  diphtheria  prevails, 
impregnate  the  drinking  water  with  camphor,  a  teaspoonful 
of  the  spirits  to  a  gallon  of  water,  and  fumigate  the  house  as 
recommended  for  roup. 

Spray  the  throat  with  peroxide  of  hydrogen  or  with  this 
formula  :  i  ounce  glycerine,  5  drops  nitric  acid,  i  gill  water. 
To  treat  several  birds  at  once  with  medicated  vapor,  take 
a  long  box  with  the  lid  off,  make  a  partition  across  and 
near  to  one  end  and  cover  the  bottom  with  coal  ashes.  Mix  a 
tablespoonful  each  of  pine  tar,  turpentine  and  sulphur,  to  which 
add  a  few  drops,  or  a  few  crystals,  of  carbolic  acid  and  a  pinch 
of  gum  camphor.  Heat  a  brick  very  hot,  put  the  fowls  in  the 
large  part  and  the  brick  in  the  other,  drop  a  spoonful  of  the 
mixture  on  the  brick  and  cover  lightly  to  keep  the  fumes  in 
among  the  patients.  Watch  carefully,  as  one  or  two  minutes 
may  be  all  they  can  endure.  Repeat  in  six  hours  if  required. 

Homeopathic  treatment — Use  sulphurous  acid  spray,  and 
give  internally  mercurius  lodatum,  i,  every  two  hours. 

CROP-BOUND.  The  crop  becomes  much  distended  and  hard 
from  obstruction  of  the  passage  from  the  crop  to  the  gizzard  by- 
something  swallowed  ;  generally,  it  is  long,  dried  grass,  a  bit 
of  rag  or  rope.  Relief  may  sometimes  be  afforded  by  giving  a 
tablespoonful  of  sweet  oil  and  then  gently  kneading  the  crop 
with  the  hand.  Give  no  food,  except  a  little  milk,  until  the 
crop  is  emptied.  Wet  a  tablespoonful  or  more  of  pulverized 
charcoal  with  the  milk  and  force  it  down  the  throat.  Should 
the  crop  not  empty  itself  naturally  pluck  a  few  feathers  from  the 
upper  right  side  of  it  and  with  a  sharp  knife  make  a  cut  about 
an  inch  long  in  the  outer  skin.  Draw  this  skin  a  little  to  one 
side  and  cut  open  the  crop.  Remove  its  contents,  being  careful 


154  BIGGIE  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 

not  to  miss  the  obstruction.  Have  a  needle  threaded  with  white 
silk  ready,  and  take  a  stitch  or  two  in  the  crop  skin  first,  then 
sew  up  the  outer  skin  separately.  Put  the  patient  in  a  comfort- 
able coop,  and  feed  sparingly  for  a  week  on  bran  and  meal  in  a 
moist  state,  and  give  but  little  water. 

SOFT  OR  SWELLED-CROP  arises  from  lack  of  grit,  or  from 
eating  soggy  and  unwholesome  food.  The  distended  crop  con- 
tains water  and  gas,  the  bird  is  feverish  and  drinks  a  great  deal. 
By  holding  it  up  with  its  head  down  the  crop  will  usually  empty 
itself.  When  this  is  done  give  teaspoon  doses  of  charcoal 
slightly  moistened  twice  at  intervals  of  six  hours.  Restrict  the 
supply  of  water  and  feed  chopped  onions  and  soft  feed  in  modera- 
tion. Homeopathic — Nux  vomica,  3. 

EGG-BOUND,  DISEASES  OF  THE  OVIDUCT.  Overfat  hens  are 
often  troubled  in  this  way.  Forcing  hens  for  egg  production 
will  sometimes  break  down  the  laying  machinery.  Give  green 
food,  oats,  little  corn,  and  no  stimulating  condiments.  I,et  the 
diet  be  plain  and  cooling  in  its  nature.  To  relieve  hens  of  eggs 
broken  in  the  oviiuct,  anoint  the  forefinger  with  sweet  oil  and 
deftly  insert  and  draw  out  the  broken  parts.  When  the  hen  is 
very  fat  and  the  egg  is  so  large  it  cannot  be  expelled,  the  only 
way  to  save  the  hen  is  to  break  the  egg  and  remove  it  as  above 
directed.  Homeopathic— Pulsatilla,  3,  one  day,  and  calcarea 
carbonate,  15,  the  next. 

WHITE-COMB  OR  SCURVY,  caused  by  crowded  and  filthy 
quarters  and  lack  of  green  food.  The  comb  is  covered  with  a 
white  scurf.  This  condition  sometimes  extends  over  the  head 
and  down  the  neck ,  causing  the  feathers  to  fall  off". 

Change  the  quarters  and  diet,  give  a  dose  of  castor  oil  and 
follow  this  with  a  half  a  teaspoonful  of  sulphur  in  the  soft  food 
daily. 

Homeopathic— Sulphur  for  one  day,  followed  by  graphites,  6. 

RHEUMATISM  AND  CRAMP  caused  by  cold  and  dampness. 
Chicks  reared  on  bottom-heat  brooders  are  particularly  subject 
to  these  troubles.  Damp  earth  floors  and  cement  floors  in  poul- 
try houses  produce  it  in  older  birds. 

Give  dry  and  comfortable  quarters,  feed  little  meat,  plenty 
of  green  food,  and  soft  feed  seasoned  with  red  pepper. 

Homeopathic — Rhus  tox,  3,  followed  by  bryonia,  3. 

DIARRHOEA  of  chicks  with  clogging  of  the  vent.    Homeo- 


DISEASES   AND   ENEMIES.  155 

pathic  —  Padophyllum,  a  few  drops  in  the  drinking  water. 
Also  remove  the  hardened  excretion  and  anoint  the  parts. 
Chamomilla  is  also  useful  in  this  complaint. 

DYSENTERY.  The  symptoms  are  frequent  straining  and  the 
passage  of  urates  streaked  with  blood.  Homeopathic — Mercurius 
corrosivus  is  indicated. 

Loss  OF  SIGHT  AND  WASTING  AWAY.  Homeopathic— Phos- 
phorous, 6. 

FROSTED  COMB  AND  WATTLES.  As  soon  as  discovered 
bathe  with  compound  tincture  of  benzoin. 

FOR  LICE  on  perches,  walls  and  coops,  use  kerosene  or  lime 
wash.  To  make  the  lime-wash  more  effective,  pour  a  little  crude 
carbolic  acid  on  the  lime  before  slaking  or  mix  with  plenty  of 
salt. 

For  use  in  nests,  pour  crude  carbolic  acid  on  lime  and  allow 
it  to  air-slake.  Put  one  or  two  handfuls  of  the  carbolized  lime 
dust  in  the  nest  box. 

Pyrethrum  powder,  sold  as  insect  powder,  is  the  dry  leaves 
and  blossoms  of  Pyrethrum  roseum  ground  to  a  fine  dust.  This 
kills  by  contact  and  is  effective  for  dusting  in  nests,  and  through 
the  feathers  of  birds.  It  is  not  poisonous  to  animal  life.  Its 
judicious  use  in  the  plumage  and  nests  of  sitting  hens  will  in- 
sure immunity  from  lice  for  the  hen  and  her  young  brood. 

Chicks  and  poults  are  often  killed  by  large  lice  that  congre- 
gate about  the  head,  throat,  vent  and  wings.  To  destroy  them, 
soak  fish  berries  (coccolus  indicus)  in  alcohol,  take  the  birds 
from  under  the  mothers  at  night  and  slightly  moisten  the  down 
of  the  infested  parts  with  the  poison.  Kerosene  oil,  clear,  or 
mixed  with  sweet  oil  or  lard  may  be  used  in  the  same  way  if  care 
be  taken  to  use  only  a  little. 

RATS,  of  all  vermin,  are  probably  the  most  destructive 
because  of  their  number  and  because  they  harbor  in  and  around 
poultry  buildings.  Cats,  terrier  dogs,  traps  and  poisons  should 
all  be  used  for  their  annihilation.  Rats  have  a  great  liking  for 
ducklings  and  it  is  necessary  to  guard  them  with  special  care. 

OPOSSUMS  will  lodge  in  rail  piles  during  the  day-time  and 
raid  the  coops  and  houses  at  night.  They  kill  a  few  at  a  time 
and  gnaw  the  neck  and  head  only.  A  steel  trap  set  inside  at 
the  hole  where  the  animal  enters  and  screened  by  boards  to 
prevent  the  fowls  from  interfering  will  catch  the  rascals. 


BIGGIE  POUI/TRY   BOOK. 


MINKS  AND  WEASELS  will  kill  a  whole  coopful  in  one  night. 
They  do  not  eat  but  only  bleed  them  in  the  neck  and  suck  the 
blood.  These  vermin  live  in  swampy  ravines,  whence  they  come 
and  lodge  a  few  days  in  brush  and  rail  piles,  or  along  fences 
while  engaged  in  their  work  of  slaughter.  Dogs  and  traps  may 
be  used  against  them. 

FOXES  are  also  night  maurauders  and  their  sly  games  may 
be  foiled  by  closed  coops  and  houses  and  a  watchful  dog. 

A  good  arrangement  for  trapping  all  these  varmints  is 
shown  by  the  illustration  given  herewith.  It 
consists  of  a  large  box  open  at  both  ends 
having  the  central  part  securely  enclosed  by 
strong  wire  netting.  A  hen  and  her  brood, 
or  a  few  half-grown  chicks  or  ducklings  are  put  in  through  the 
trap-door  on  top.  In  both  ends  steel  traps  are  set  and  concealed 
by  litter  or  bits  of  thin  cloth,  the  traps  being  securely  chained. 
In  the  cut  the  side  of  coop  is  left  off,  to  better  show  its  construction. 

CATS,  generally  the  innocent-looking  pet  cat,  often  acquire 
a  taste  for  young  chickens  and  will  eat  two  or  three  daily  with 
great  regularity.  The  best  remedy  is  lead  from  a  shot-gun,  or, 
if  the  fur  is  wanted,  put  pussy  and  an  ounce  of  chloroform 
together  in  a  close  box. 

HAWKS  AND  CROWS  in  the  vicinity  of  woods  are  often 
troublesome.  When  they  have  once  caught  a  chicken  at  a 
certain  place  they  will  usually  come  at  the  same  hour  the 
following  day.  Guineas  are  useful  as  alarmists.  A  shot  gun 
well  handled  will  bring  down  the  enemy.  Screens  of  brush  or 
boards  in  the  yards  into  which  the  flocks  may  run, 
afford  protection.  Set  a  pole  with  pegs  in,  to  make  *§=•  "^^ 
climbing  easy,  in  the  vicinity,  nail  a  small  board  on 
top,  put  a  piece  of  recently  killed  chicken  on  it 
with  a  steel  trap  on  the  chicken  and  fasten  trap 
with  a  chain. 

Crows  catch  only  small  chickens.  Suspend  in  the 
runs  small  panes  of  glass,  or  pieces  of  mirror,  or  bright 
tin  by  cords  from  leaning  poles  or  stakes.  These  swing- 
ing in  the  wind  and  glistening  in  the  light  are  feared  by  the 
suspicious  thieves.  A.n  upright  pole  may  be  set  in  the  ground 
with  cross  arms  and  wind -wheel  on  top,  as  shown  in  the  illus- 
tration. 


DISK  ASKS  AND  ENEMIES.  157 

POT-PIE. 

As  an  evening  feed  in  cold  weather  nothing  is  better  than 
whole  corn  slightly  warmed. 

Wading  in  slush  is  not  the  kind  of  exercise  that  keeps  hens 
healthy  and  makes  them  lay  in  winter. 

The  public  know  where  Peter  Tumbledown's  chickens  roost 
by  the  appearance  of  his  wagon  when  he  drives  into  town. 

An  M.  D.  says  that  thirty-grain  doses  of  salicylicate  of  soda 
will  cure  fowls  of  rheumatism. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  substance  of  an  egg  is  water.  Eggs 
cannot  be  made  out  of  dry  grain  and  dried  grass.  Hens  that 
lay  in  winter  have  a  liberal  supply  of  water  from  some  source. 

Sods  from  a  gravelly  loam  furnish  grit,  insects,  seeds  and 
dried  grass.  Those  who  have  not  tried  sods  for  winter  use  do 
not  know  how  valuable  they  are.  Store  a  big  pile  in  one  corner 
of  the  hennery. 

Moulting  fowls  require  nitrogenous  food.  Milk,  wheat 
bran  and  linseed  meal,  animal  meal,  cut  green  bones  and  the 
like  will  furnish  it. 

The  place  for  unoccupied  coops  is  in  a  shed  or  temporary 
shelter.  Clean  out  and  whitewash  before  putting  them  away 
for  the  season. 

Dry  feathers  in  the  shade  ;  the  sun  draws  the  oil  from  the 
stems. 

Rotten  eggs  as  nest  eggs  are  an  abomination  ;  medicated 
eggs  for  keeping  away  lice  are  humbugs. 

If  you  have  a  hen  noted  for  her  laying  qualities  save  her 
eggs  and  hatch  them  and  raise  a  few  cockerels  for  next  year. 
This  is  the  way  to  increase  the  egg  production  of  your  whole 
flock.  Stick  a  big  pin  in  this  item. 

A  roof  that  is  to  be  covered  with  felt  of  any  kind  should  not  be 
made  very  steep.  If  the  house  is,  say,  ten  feet  wide,  thereof  ought 
not  to  have  more  than  twelve  or  eighteen  inches  pitch.  If  two 
or  three  feet  pitch  is  given  it  the  wind  will  get  undr  the  felt  and 
tear  it  off.  We've  had  experience  in  the  matter  and  speak  "  by 
the  book." 

To  catch  a  chicken  or  turkey  quick  and  easy,  take  a  cord 
and  make  a  slip-noose  on  one  end  about  twenty  inches  in  diam 
eter.  Lay  this  on  the  ground  and  stand  off  some  distance  with 
the  other  end  in  your  hand.  Throw  some  corn  about  the  noose 


£58  BIGGIE  POULTRY   BOOK. 

and  when  the  right  fowl  gets  his  feet  within  the  circle  of  the 
cord,  pull  quick  and  you  have  him. 

Clover  hay  is  excellent  for  laying  hens.  It  is  rich  in  the 
chemical  qualities  needed  in  producing  eggs.  It  is  also  much 
cheaper  than  to  feed  them  altogether  on  grain.  Give  them  grain 
at  night,  but  in  the  morning  take  a  pail  two-thirds  full  of  fine 
cut  clover  and  cover  with  boiling  water,  cover  closely  and  let  it 
steam  until  the  clover  is  swelled,  then  add  enough  meal,  ground 
oats  or  bran  to  make  a  crumbly  mass. 

Two  handy  coops  are  shown  in  the  illustrations.   Figure  i  has 
ends  made  of  canvas  or  bagging,  and  Figure  2 
is  provided  with  a  sliding  false 
'  side,  which  may  be  drawn  to  the 

FIG.  i.         front  by  means  of  the  pole,  thus          FIG.  2. 
bringing  the  chickens  within  reach. 

Here  are  some  of  the  many  causes  why  chicks  die  in  the 
shell  :  eggs  from  immature  pullets  ;  cock  too  fat ;  hens  too  fat ; 
hens  beginning  to  moult ;  shells  of  eggs  too  thick  ;  cock  inactive  ; 
feeding  highly-seasoned  food  ;  lack  of  exercise  of  hens  ;  exposing 
the  eggs  just  when  the  chicks  are  coming  out ;  lack  of  bulky 
food  for  hen;  natural  weakness  of  parents,  in-breeding  ;  lack 
of  vigor  in  male  ;  inherent  lack  of  vitality  in  chicks  ;  too  close 
and  persistent  sitting  by  the  hen,  thus  overheating  the  eggs ; 
hens  once  affected  with  the  roup  ;  cockerel  not  matured. 

A  good  condition  powder  for  laying  hens  or  fattening  stock  : 
Ground  bone,  one  pound  (phosphoric  r  ^id  and  lime)  ;  ground 
meat  or  blood,  three  pounds  (nitrogenous,  forming  albumen)  ; 
linseed  meal,  one-half  pound  (nitrogenous,  carbonaceous  and 
laxative,  used  for  regulating  the  bowels)  ;  charcoal,  one  pound 
(used  for  promoting  digestion  and  assisting  to  correct  acidity) ; 
salt,  half  pound  (very  necessary,  and  often  neglected)  ;  ground 
ginger,  two  ounces  ;  red  pepper,  one  tablespoonful  ;  gentian, 
one  ounce  (stimulant  and  corrective)  ;  citrate  of  iron  and 
ammonia,  one  ounce  (an  invigorator  of  the  system).  A  small 
handful  daily  to  each  ten  fowls  in  soft  feed. 

A  good  condition  powder  for  sick  fowls  :  gentian,  one  pound  ; 
red  pepper,  half  ounce ;  salt,  one  ounce  ;  citrate  of  iron  and 
ammonia,  one  ounce;  Peruvian  bark,  one  ounce;  black  anti- 
mony, one  ounce  ;  charcoal,  half  a  pound.  Give  a  tablespoonful 
to  two  hens  in  the  soft  feed  once  a  day. 


INDEX. 

PAGE. 

APOPLEXY  AND  VERTIGO 148 

BREEDS  OF  CHICKENS      81 

American  Class 82 

Asiatic  Class 83 

Mediterranean  Class 85 

Polish  Class 87 

Hamburg  Class 88 

French  Class 88 

English  Class 89. 

Games,  etc 89. 

Bantams,  other  than  Games 90 

Miscellaneous  Class 90 

BROILERS,  FEEDING  AND  CARE  OF  EARLY 53. 

BROODERS,  CHICKS  WITH 43. 

BUMBLE-FOOT 150 

CANKER  OF  THE  MOUTH  AND  HEAD 149 

CAPONIZING , 139 

CATS 156 

CHICKS,  CARE  OF,  WITH  HENS 35 

CHOLERA .151 

CRAMP 154 

CROP-BOUND ....  153, 

CROWS  AND  HAWKS 156 

DlARRHCEA 154 

DIPHTHERIA   .  .       153. 

DUCKS,  VARIETIES  OF iby 

Keeping  for  Eggs 109. 

"  "  Market no 

DUCKLINGS,  HATCHING  AND  CARE  OF 113. 

DYSENTERY 155 

EGG,  THE „ 13. 

Heat,  Application  of 15 

Testing , 16 

Preservation  of i& 

EGG-BOUND 154 

EGG  PRODUCTION,  HENS  FOR 57 

Daily  Ration 64 


160  INDEX. 

PAGB 

FARMER'S  FLOCK,  THE 67 

FATTENING  AND  MARKETING 137 

FEVERS      148 

FOXES 156 

FROSTED  COMBS  AND  WATTLES 155 

GAPES 150 

GEESE,  How  TO  PICK 123 

GOSLINGS,  HATCHING  AND  CARE  OF 121 

GUINEA-FOWLS , 102 

HATCHING,  EGGS  FOR   .  .  .  .  „ 21 

HAWKS  AND  CROWS 156 

HEADS  AND  COMBS,  TYPES  OF 10 

INCUBATOR,  THE 29 

IvEG-WEAKNESS 149 

I^ICE       155 

MARKETING,  FATTENING  AND  . 137 

MINKS  AND  WEASELS   .   < 150 

OPOSSUMS 155 

PARALYSIS 148 

PARTS  OF  THE  CHICKEN -       10 

PEA-FOWL,  THE 104 

PIGEONS  FOR  MARKET 127 

PIP 152 

PRELIMINARY  PARLEY . 7 

RATS 155 

RHEUMATISM  AND  CRAMP 154 

ROUP 152 

SCALY  I,EG 149 

SCURVY 154 

SIGHT,  I^oss  OF  155 

SOFT  AND  SWELLED  CROP 154 

SQUABS,  HATCHING  AND  CARE  OF 129 

TURKEYS,  CARK  OF  THE  YOUNG 100 

VKRTIGO  AND  APOPLEXY 148 

WEASELS  AND  MINKS 156 

WHITE  COMB  OR  SCURVY 154 

WORMS 150 


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